


Just A Stray, Just A Cover

by Omicron_The_IceQueen



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Cyber-wolf, Cybertronian fauna, Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), placed a few years before the fourth movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2018-11-17 09:12:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11272428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omicron_The_IceQueen/pseuds/Omicron_The_IceQueen
Summary: "Really. Having a human is only good for keeping cover. At least a younger one can be... trained...? Don't touch the youngling Hound, yea'll scaring her- it- her. Stop that," Crosshairs growled as he stalked over to the bigger mech, blunted claws reaching to grab the organic Hound had picked up.





	1. Street

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a RP with a friend when the Age of Extinction movie came out, and I'm taking it over to make an story. So this chapter and several of the following are co-written with Fatala.
> 
> Why?
> 
> We both like the glorious green bastard, and this is a funny idea.

Stupid humans, did they really think they could catch him? Crosshairs watched as the cops drove by looking for a much different looking car than the form he was now in. The now green and black car stayed ducked low over his tires in the dark alley way as he planned his route out of the city.

He couldn't stay in the city any longer, not with the humans had gotten wise to him hiding there. Maybe he could meet up with Hound, the mech had said he and Drift had found a good hiding spot; though Crosshairs really didn't want to get tied down with any other mechs. It was easy to get caught when together; though he might consider it... once he got out of the city.

There was a skittering, not the same sound as an adult human running. A huff and then a smaller form ran around one if the back corners, wavered to correct her balance before spotting the car that wasn't normally here. Running right over to the hidden Autobot, the young organic almost ran into the driver's door, hand razed to knock on the glass before seeing that it was empty inside. She half spun at the sound of a clatter farther back, whined and dropped, rolling and scooting under the mech before trying to pull her myself flat against his undercarriage, he could even feel the shivers from the thin frame.

The mech knew the human was coming even before she rounded the corner. She was only a youngling; the human sparklings and younglings were far from a threat. Even if one saw him the adults never seemed to believe them. Crosshairs didn't care, it worked to his advantage.

Still, he had not expected the human to hide beneath him.

 _Great...little slagger, you don't belong there._ Crosshairs thought to himself waiting for a moment for the human to move. When she didn't move fast enough for him Crosshairs revved his engine loudly. There was a frightened yip like sound, but the human youngling wasn't moving. More afraid of what caused her to run then the sudden starting of the car.

Now Crosshairs growled to himself. _I am not getting caught just because of you._ Stupid humans; he never understood why Optimus and some of the others had a soft spot for them. They were nothing but trouble.

He revved his engine again, this time growling out loud so only the human could hear him but no one else could. The voice was male, and had a gravely edge to it even light this. "Get out from under me human, _now_."

The human, the human sparkling let go if his undercarriage, more then frightened, and already scared of something else she did the only thing she could. Balling up on her side, trying and failing to hide from this mad car, but not wanting to face what was 'back there.' Twitching, shivering she whined and just tried her hardest to melt into the ground instead, everything hurt, including her own stomach that seemed to be eating itself, it was so late and the growling car just put her past her endurance.

"Fine. I tried being 'nice.'" With that, even though it might not be true, the black and green car spilt apart around the human, transforming into the mech's true form. In a matter of moments a tall, slender cybertronian towered over her. His armor was primarily green with black highlights and patters, and the appeared to have a flexible 'duster,' over armor that fell around the lower half of his body.

The mech knelt down close to the frightened girl, giving her a good look at his face and the goggles he had on his forehead. If she was like any other human he had met than it wouldn't take much more then that to scare her off.

"Boo." he said with a wicked looking smile.

The human, girl, flinched, but... didn't move? Didn't try to run, in fact she seemed to brace herself as if expecting to get hit, protecting her vulnerable front and her neck. Even balled up as she now was, the mech could see she was a lot thinner than other youths her age, even just smaller in general. He could likely picked her up pretty easily like that.

No blow ever came, nor did the mech draw his weapons. He was more confused by the human than threatened by her. Just as long as no other humans stumbled on him he would be fine.

"That is yea'r que to scram, small fry." Crosshairs said when the human still didn't run.

There was a very small but insisting shake of her head, and just because of him being a mech did Crosshairs hear the near chant, "...don't scream, makes it worse...hold your breath." She didn't seem fully aware that this new threat was that different from whatever scared her before.

"Hey. Yea even listening?" The mech plucked the human up by the scruff of her shirt, uses the sides of his blunted talons to force her to stand. "If yea're smart 'lil human, yea'll leave an' pretend yea never seen me." He then let go of her shirt.

She had started to nod, but went mute, starting up at him, then buckled down to sit on her knees once let go. Then something happened as she looked up at the mech, softly speaking, "You're...a mech..." She was coming out of the fear haze, what was it called? Panic attack?

"Yeah I am." Crosshairs said, before making gestures with his hands. "Big 'scary' mech, now go run, scream; whatever yea humans like to do." He didn't care, in a couple minutes he would be out of the city.

"...you're not that scary." The human finally said, glancing down, "You saved us."

A snort came from the mech at what she said. "An' look at all the good it did us. Now we get to be hunted by your kind." Yeah, he was regretting following Prime's call to Earth.

The hurt girl gave him a confused look, not grasping why he would say that. Hadn't the Autobot mechs protected earth from the bad ones? It wasn't hard to tell she had an innocent understanding of the Cybertronians, and the idea humans could hunt something so big didn't seem to compute either... Though she could have been addled up, as a semi-distant man's voice had a greater fear response and whimper from the girl.

Despite the young human's innocence Crosshairs was a pessimistic mech when it came to trusting others, especially in the situation he and the others were currently in. His audios heard another human approaching, Crosshairs' optic narrowed as he really seemed to see the youngling's responses. The gun toting mech knew he should just leave the human, she was none of his concern.

...Yet he _knew_ that Prime would give him an audio full if he did nothing.

With a growl to himself Crosshairs grabbed the human by the scruff of her shirt again, pulling it tight as he picked her up and off the ground to point at her with his other hand. "Yea're gonna get in, sit down an' shut up. I don't need any of yea'r human squealin' while I get out of here."

The mech did not know what he'd do with the human after he got out of the city. Crosshairs figured he'd let Hound and Drift figure that out later. Or maybe he could toss her off on Bumblebee. That yellow scout frame might be slagging horrible at leading, but he did have a way with humans.

Crosshairs let the girl down only after getting a squeak and a hurried nod. He waited to see that she was not going to run- but noting the human just wavering in spot for balance before he transformed. Crosshairs' form collapsing into itself, the over armor vanishing as well before the seek car was back, and opened his passenger side door. "In. Now."

It seemed the human youngling was good at fallowing orders, mutely hopping in the same few seconds he ordered it. She curled up and almost slid more in the passenger side's foot well in an attempt at hiding from sight and just balling up near a sensor inadvertently. After that first time not a squeak came out of the youngling as she tried to catch her breath.

As soon as the human was completely in, his seatbelts came out as the door swung shut. The straps that grabbed the girl pulled her up and pinned her into his passenger seat. There was a very small, muted sound came from her as he pulled her up, curling up as best as she could where the mech put her. It wasn't a true sound, or really a squeak like before even. So at least the youngling wasn't screaming, even as she hunched down to brace herself. The straps he were none harmful he was sure, but Crosshairs did not want a wiggly anything inside of him, and his engine gave a roar as he exited out of the alleyway and on to the busy city streets. Several other cars blared their horns at him as Crosshairs cut in front of a few; not that he cared.

As he raced out of the city Crosshairs sent out a comm, seeing if Drift or Hound were anywhere nearby.

At least Crosshairs had a well behaved human so far.

After a moment Hound's voice crackled over Crosshairs' com. :: _Well look who's still kicking. Didn't get your aft slagged yet 'hot shot'?_ :: the new voice seemed deeper, thicker somehow and followed by his hearty laugh that managed to have a crackle in it.

The human jumped at Hound's voice, wide green eyes- uncomfortably a little too similar to like Level Worker optics were like- scanning for the source of voice. She stared at the spot behind the radio, but didn't speak up herself, holding onto the straps that still held her down.

"Shut it, yea old rust bucket." Crosshairs growled in reply before adding on. "Just shoot me those coordinates you were bragging about the other day."

:: _Oh! The 'lone wolf' wants to come join the 'pack'? Ha! Knew you couldn't make it on your own._ ::

"Slag off, and send them!" Crosshairs growled at the other mech.

:: _Fine, fine._ :: Hound finally said after a moment more of tormenting the green mech. The other mech was ready to say something else but was cut off by Crosshairs.

"Slagger." he grumbled to himself before his attention shifted to the human. "Looks like yea're going on a 'lil trip girly."

The girl looked up from fiddling with the belt, over her middle, and then shrugged. As far as she was concerned and knew her fate was better, as this mech even if he did not know or realize that had saved her.

The mech rumbled a hum at this response as he settled into driving. For awhile Crosshairs said nothing to the girl, though he found her lack of fear impressive; for a human at least. "So what's yea'r deal girly? Don't think I've meet a human who hasn't instantly freaked out or ran upon encountering me."

Then again Crosshairs had missed the entire battle of Chicago and was still relatively new to earth. He still wasn't convinced he made the right decision when he followed Optimus' call to this slagging planet.

She opened her mouth, hesitated before tentatively speaking, as he told her clearly not to talk before, "Autobots saved us... from the sun and... the planet in the sky..." She ducked, waiting to see if it was okay or the mech changed his mind.

There was no backlash from her speaking. He had asked for an answer, but he did take not of the reaction.

Still, was this human really this innocent, and really had no idea what was going on? It seemed highly doubtful. Then again he already had her, no point taking the risk and dumping her somewhere so close to where he had picked her up. "Yeah, yeah. Savors of the world, none of that seems to matter anymore."

"Why wouldn't it?" The girl asked confused, "...momma said before we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Autobots, or we would be slaves."

Gasp!

The little thing could talk!

"Yea'r carrier is a smart femma." Crosshairs said slowly as he was starting to think he should probably drop the human off nearby for her parental units to find her after all. The Prime would not really like this would he? "Still, a femma shouldn't let such a youngling scurry in the street."

"Moma's gone," The girl said, gripping the straps holding her as she looked out the window at the moving lights. "She couldn't let me out much anyways."

"An' yea'r sire- ah frag what's it called, father?" The mech still hadn't slowed or deviated from his current course. One good thing with having a human inside, it helped him blend in. As long as no one got too nosey to see past the tint of his windows and realize the lack of a driver.

"I don't have one." The girl paused, and then swallowed looking down, "He might be... but I don't think so. I don't want him to be..."

With the small bit that was his conscious was satisfied with that answer. Now he would not need to worry about any guilt tripping about taking the human; not that he cared too much anyways.

"Well yea don't need to worry about goin' back girly. Cause we're gone." Crosshairs sped up as he hit the open highway.

"Gone?" the girl dared to peek up over the door edge and outside, then scrunched back down where she'd been pulled and held, as she remembered the mech had said to sit still. She did not seem to mind that he was taking her, at least right now, and didn't protest. If anything she tried to push back into the seat as if seeking or getting some form of comfort out of it.

"So, yea have a name? I know yea humans usually do." Crosshairs was starting to get sick of calling her 'girly'. Considering he had several hours to drive, he at least needed a name to call her.

"Amy," The girl said, looking at the dash and the screen in it, but tucked her hands in, there was just a childish want to investigate now that she was feeling safer and calming down. But again, the mech had been very clear of what he wanted her to do. Amy didn't want to upset him... and really what if she could hurt him by touching things? He took, was taking her away so she didn't want to hurt him either. "What's yours?"

'Amy'. A simple human name, human designations could be so dull.

"Name's Crosshairs." He noticed her rigidness. "No need to be so stiff, no bouncing around though. I don't need yea being tossed around like if I need to pull out some fancy maneuvers."

"You said you wanted me to sit." Amy pointed back the way they came, becoming submissive shy, "You were upset... I don't want to upset you... and I can't move anyways." The girl added, barely able to move an inch with the straps around her.

It was a valid point... the mech hadn't slacken his grip on the organic.

"Yea haven't see me upset little one. Besides it will take a lot more than a 'lil wiggling to make me mad." He said with a light huff in his voice as the seatbelts slackened to give the human a bit of room to move about.

"...it sounded like it." Amy said softly, but she relaxed and shifted so her legs where sideways instead of in front at least. It was another trusting sign though. Her green eyes were looking all around, even daring to touch a few things, but avoided the radio and screen, and driver's side, as that seemed polite to do.

"Trust me. If I was mad, yea'd know it." That was a guaranteed with Crosshairs' quick temper. Well, at least he was better at hiding it than Bumblebee and Hound were. Usually he was more snarky than anything else. "But yea don't need to worry about that Amy. As long as yea're not one of those backstabbin' humans who act all innocent before showing yea'r true colors. Then we'll get along dandy."

"Back... that's hurting someone isn't it?" Amy frowned, not liking that one bit, "I won't." She promised, she looked down and said, "I'm peach colored!" There was a pause and, "Well...sometimes purple like now."

"Wait. Wha-? ...never mind." Crosshairs was not about to question human logic, youngling logic. If he could call it that, "Alright, you'll be fine then." With an answer like the one she gave, Crosshairs doubted the human could even think of betraying anyone.

"I don't like the purple, it hurts." Amy muttered, curling up again to try and muffle the sound of her stomach protesting it had been too long since she last ate.

Crosshairs looked closer at the human when she mentioned 'the purple' again. Now he noticed the bruises on the young girl, it seemed that someone had damaged her. It seemed that humans could be just as brutal to each other as they were to Cybertronians.

"Yea need some nourishment." the mech said when he heard Amy's stomach rumble. "I'm sure there'll be somethin' at one of these 'rest stops'." Crosshairs said at seeing a sign for a rest stop a few miles ahead.

"I saw one of those in a movie... don't they have cameras?" Amy asked, looking outside, though there was none here in reality it was something to pause and make sure of. Not that there was not a bunch of cameras in the world, though most human cameras were easy to jam or just flick once spotted.

"Maybe," Crosshairs said with a sound that implied a shrug in his voice. "If there is, they won't be a problem. Yea just leave them to me."

It was a few miles until they reached the nearest rest stop. Once there Crosshairs pulled around to an empty area of the parking lot along the back side of the building. The mech scanned the building looking for any cameras or security. There was some, mostly inside near the closed coffee store, but one camera outside just barely missed a lone vending machine outside.

"It's pretty," the girl said, looking more at the flowers in the planter beside them. Then looked around and gave a nervous wiggle in her seat, "can I go to the bathroom?" Amy asked spotting the restrooms.

The seatbelt keeping her safe was released just as the door popped open. "Go on and relieve yourself." Crosshairs said. "Don't be too long. I need to keep on the move."

"I won't!" Amy promised and ran, past the vending machine and under the sole camera to get to the bathroom with the basic female pictograph.

Before coming back out she made extra sure to wash her hands good, pausing to touch a yellowing mark on the side of her jaw from a trip on her escape run earlier. Amy stood back to try and get a good look at herself, blinked, and washed her face too before coming back out. The girl looked around, hoping the Autobot car-mech didn't just...leave.

Crosshairs was still sitting there, his vehicle mode still the same as before; looking completely innocent. Nothing else seemed to have moved either...though there was a decided absence of the vending machine. All that was left to show that it had once graced the now empty spot was the remnants of the power cord still stuck in the wall socket. Yet there was no sign of the machine itself.

He had the amusing sight of first seeing the girl brighten a bit at seeing him (and aw slag, that meant she was starting to get hopeful for him somehow). Then seeing Amy almost faceplate as she stopped her run back to him, staring where the vending machine had been with a confused, little worried look before finishing the dart over.

When Amy approached Crosshairs reopened the door for her, not saying a word.

The girl stepped back in willingly, going back to curl up in Crosshairs' passenger seat. Once Amy was in Crosshairs shut the door and the seatbelts came back wrapping around her again.

"That was fast." He commented, Crosshairs' voice seemed to have settled, not exactly softer but no longer annoyed. There was a click as his glovebox opened to reveal a couple bags of chips and a bottle of juice. "Got something that I think may quiet yea'r tanks for a lil bit. That machine at least had some useful things in it." he commented before his engine roared to life and he pulled away from the rest stop. And he would be long gone before anyone would discover the remains of the mutilated vending machine behind the nearby dumpsters.

Amy went for the orange juice first, and from the delighted squeak it was a favorite, or treat, to her. The chips were taken and examined while she was pressed into the seat from the acceleration. "Thank you Crosshairs," Amy said once she was adjusted to his motion again, taking happy gulps of the juice. Then there was an amusing process of opening the first bag without spilling anything on the living car.

"No problem girly. A scrawny thing like yea needs something to fill yea'r tanks. Then again, I doubt that those were made to be eaten by humans as a source of nutrition." Then again Crosshairs never claimed to be a medic like Ratchet. But at least the chips would do for now. If she needed anything later Amy could always use to money Crosshairs had pulled from the vending machine. He figured the human currency would come in handy at some point.

"I'm... eighty ...something pounds," The girl protested, nibbling away on the chips, not really aware that that meant she was under weight.

"Yeah, yea're a scrawny one." Crosshairs said, even if he didn't know how underweight she was. "There's sure to be some place to get some better food for yea farther down the road." He said, marketing several places on his internal maps as possible areas for the human to refuel, and drain.

The girl was opening the second bag of chips, the first bag held safe in her lap as Amy held the drink between the knees. "I got out of the window though." She said with pride, then blinked, unsure of how getting 'better food' work out. Amy had never shopped before.

"...window?"


	2. Now what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a LOT more communication chatter in this chapter, mostly because no one wants to wake the kiddo up. Grumpy mechs being nice to tiny kid makes my day, I'm not sorry in the least.

The trip had taken longer than Crosshairs originally calculated; then again he had not figured a young human would need to stop so much. About twenty miles ago they had gotten off the main highway and since then had been going from one small desert road to another; until they got on to the one they were currently following. It winded through narrow canyons and around towering plateaus; no wonder Hound and Drift hadn't been found yet. They were also doing a good job of hiding their energy signatures; though they couldn't hide them completely from him.

It was a good thing Crosshairs' passenger was better insulated from the bumps than she would have been in a normal car. It was just enough that Amy could still dose, curled up sideways in his seat, hugging herself and one strap because of how it was around her. Just a little while before he'd turned off she just couldn't stay awake any longer, tired and hurt, but getting some rest... and no this was not kind of cute, no sir, it wasn't...maybe a little bit.

Crosshairs would not admit that he was trying to make the ride a little less bumpy, even if he was failing. At least the human was still asleep. Soon a second engine could be heard from somewhere ahead, though the source became clear when he passed the next plateau. Out from behind the plateau came a military truck; which pulled in front of him.

:: _Took you long enough._ :: Hound's voice came over Crosshairs comm. and he chuckled deeply as if mocking the other mech. ::So much for being fast.::

"Shaddup, I had to make a few stops." Crosshairs said, shifting to not be crowded by the bigger mech.

:: _Oh? Had to make a pitstop? Get your 'oil changed'?_ :: Hound laughed at his own joke.

As Hound passed the smaller mech to take the lead while he spoke, the other hidden mech could just see something moving in the green car. That tint really only worked for humans after all.

Inside Amy had jumped, pressing into the seat for the first few moments of confusion as she remembered where she was. Amy did try and get closer to the mech by scrunching down some at seeing the big rough and a bit more scary looking truck. Jumping again at the loud laugh in and outside of the corvette.

"What do you have in there?" Hound asked, not just on the communication lines as the jolliness in his voice was slowly draining.

"I found somethin' on my way over. A human youngling." Crosshairs switched his comm back over to his private ones right before Hound's response.

:: _A_ human _!? Are you insane?!_ :: The military mech yelled.

:: _A human youngling; she's harmless._ :: Crosshairs said, hoping it would calm down the other mech. Doubtful but he could try. :: _It was either bring her or let her wander the streets. Innocent little thing doesn't even_ know _what's been going on between mechs an' humans._ ~

The girl tilted her head, and peered over the edge of Crosshair's door, "Is that one of your friends?" She asked shyly, and then squeaked as something swept past over, the girl ducking in reflex not just that but a loud horn blare from the truck. Then her eyes widen in little green pools of awe at the light frame helicopter that swung around the two full grounders before pacing a little too close to Crosshairs as it got a good look inside him before speaking himself.

"Yes, they both are." Crosshairs told Amy as Drift flew over him.

::Hey! Back off Drift, I don't need yea hovering over me like an earthen vulture.:: Crosshairs sent back to Drift, his engine roaring a little in irritation. Drift moved closer despite the yell, until Amy hunkered down before slowly moving away to the side, then sped up to take the lead,

:: _Hound stop blaring your horn like a fool._ :: The flier spoke up, but sounded thoughtful.

Hound's horn blared again in protest. :: _Am I the only one who is concerned that Crosshairs brought a HUMAN with him?!_ ::

:: _Yes. Yes, yea are._ :: Crosshairs replied, his voice dry as he shifted lanes to dodge the bigger truck, feeling the human in question ball up again

:: _Take a good look at that human._ :: Drift said, his rails hitting the truck and lifted, showing the way to their current hide out. :: _Very... small, very colorful where there shouldn't be colors I think._ ::

The little human optics had his attention to, and knew that it would soon have Hound's as well, once the older mech settled down. The helicopter transformed, splitting and reforming to a mech that at first did not seem much bigger, if at all then Crosshairs. Drift crossed his arms as he peered to the far side of the overhanging plateau- that was more cavern, and to where a black muscle car was hunkered low to the ground, facing outward. He frowned as waited for the other two, and noted that the fourth Autobot hadn't moved in the last week.

Hound still grumbled to himself even as he transformed. "I still don't trust them." He huffed under his breath, watching Crosshairs pull up. The green and black mech opened his passenger side door and retracted his seatbelt.

"Alright, need yea to get out so I can transform." Crosshairs said urging the young girl to get out. After a moment he could just feel her wariness and felt like he needed to reassure her, though not sure why. "They may seem gruff but they won't hurt yea."

A rock hit Hound in the back of the head as Drift moved a few paces away, and farther away there was a subtle shifting from Bumblebee as he stirred at last out of his grief. He was watching too as Amy came half way out, clutching the chip bags and empty juice bottle against her chest, looking up at the near mountain of metal that was Hound. She moved back as soon as she saw his face, at first against Crosshairs' side, the girl then looked about to go hide back inside or under him again.

Hound's glare turned to Drift, cursing something in Cybertronian before turning back to see Amy coming out of Crosshairs. Drift was right. While he wouldn't admit it to Drift, Hound's face did soften slightly at seeing the innocent eyes of the girl.

Before Amy could think about hiding back inside of him Crosshairs transformed, his hand coming out to reassure the girl. "Easy. They ain't gonna hurt you." He said, his duster coming around so she could hide in it if she wanted to.

In the background the scout was paying attention now, though still didn't move except the slight crunch of the front tires moving as he too spotted the human. Watching as Amy lost her nerve and hid behide Crosshairs' right leg, vanishing behind the over armor.

"Hey there small spark..." Hound crouched down closer to Amy, the military mech tried his best to sound gentle; even if it was a challenge.

"Yea don't need to worry about Hound." Crosshairs said before he added with a chuckle.  
"He's all bark an' no bite."

The girl peeked out behind the inside part of Crosshair's leg, hesitating before a just as little voice spoke, "Hi... I'm Amy."

She was almost lost from sight, as the desert moonlight was blocked by the green mech and his over armor, but she could very easily see the blue optics. At least she was calming down now- if nothing else Crosshairs was providing a feeling of protection.

It was a good thing the mechs didn't need light to see; despite the darkness they could see just fine.

"Amy? That's a nice name." Hound commented trying to sound gentle. "So how did you end up with this miscreant of a mech?"

"Momma's gone, I got away from the basement." Amy said slowly, starting to come out from her hiding spot and standing between Crosshairs' legs. " _He_ found out and chased me, then I hid under Crosshairs..." She paused and realized that she was back to hiding under the mech, though he was standing up this time. Amy tilted her back to look up at the green and black Autobot above, "And he took me here I guess."

"Youngling had no place to go, so why not join our misfit group of vagabonds?" Crosshairs said with a shrug.

:: _So you just so randomly brought her here?_ :: Hound asked over the open commlink.

:: _It's better than leaving her there._ :: Crosshairs said, his optics glancing down at Amy. :: _I didn't give her those bruises; some other human did. I don't think humans are suppose ta' have those marks._ ::

:: _I do not either._ :: Drift said, coming slowly back over, :: _Or so thin._ ::

:: _...no._ :: the barely there, and broken voice was almost missed by the other mechs.

In fact Drift was just starting to kneel down when he realized a fourth had spoken up, and he glanced back at the still muscle car in the dark. "Bumblebee?"

Both Crosshairs and Hound looked over towards where Bumblebee was still sitting.

"Look who finally decided to speak up. Mr. human-lover himself." Crosshairs said he snorted and then leaned down to Amy, his hand first ushering to Drift. "That's Drift..." Then to the parked car. "An' that's Bumblebee."

Something... painful was heard from the scout, and it became clear why he now spoke with all the thousands of human sound clips. That sound in their privet comms and audios from the car itself wasn't something a mech should make, horrible, and then melting into something that must have been grief.

Amy had jumped, pressing against the inside of Crosshair's right leg again, almost up on his foot as she started into the dark, unable to see where Bumblebee was. She looked at Hound and then Drift, who had turned away again from about to extend a hand to coax the human closer.

"And that's our rag-tag gang of misfits. At least all of us that remain." Crosshairs said.

"At least those of us who are left," Hound added, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"...did they leave?" Amy asked, quietly, not sure as she thought about the few things Crosshairs had mentioned, and then that haunting sound. "The other Autobots will come back? Right?"

"If we're all lucky, then they're just hiding." Crosshairs started only to be finished by Hound.

"More likely they've become victims of the hunts." Hound grumbled, adjusting his helm. "Small spark, we might be the only ones left. Especially with Prime's last transmission; nearly three years and not a single peep."

The girl looked around before she whined softly, not pain for her but hugged the green and black's leg, "I'm sorry... I hope they come back?" She still was not sure how anyone could even _hurt_ these giants of metal, so was still grasping the whole concept of them being hunted.

"I do not think we have anything to fear from this human Hound." Drift said softly, looking up at the warrior.

"Yah...I doubt the youngling could hurt anyone." Hound agreed as he settled then sent over the comms. :: _Though now what do we do with her?_ ::

"We appreciate it Amy. Don't worry your little head about it. We're warriors, we'll make it." Crosshairs reassured her, shifting his leg, that ankle just a little bit.

Drift paused and asked, "Has she been fed and watered?" The blue mech asked, tilting his head at the faint giggled against Crosshairs' leg, and really... he was surprised the paratrooper and gunner was tolerating holding still for this long. :: _She might be a use for cover. Holos, even hard light only go so far._ ::

"Of course... Not the healthiest stuff, but it worked." Crosshairs shrugged standing up all the way before folding his arms across his chest. He couldn't really move too make with her all but clinging to him.

A soft musical note came from Bumblebee's frame, :: _She needs rest._ :: He sent the text ping to the others, mostly to Crosshairs, :: _Falling asleep on your leg. Look down._ ::

Drift arched and optic ridge and looked again, snorting as he found it true. "Looks like she's yours now gunner."

The mech looked down to see Amy nodding off. "Yea humans do like to sleep alot." Crosshairs said to himself as he knelt back down, carefully, in order to scoop Amy into his hands. Blunted claws wrapping around the small frame, though at hearing Drift's comment Crosshairs gave him a look like 'oh?'. As far as he was concerned he hadn't said he'd keep the human or not; taking her was just easier than leaving her there.

"Its dark, and late." Amy said, jarring back awake at the motion, fumbling until she wrapped her arms around a few of Crosshairs' fingers to try and feel secure. Shivering a bit now that he had her up and out of the wind break of the duster like over armor.

Crosshairs' other hand came around to act as a barrier against the small bit of wind. The gunner started to walked towards the overhanging plateau. "Yah can go back to sleep then."

"Where?" Amy asked looking around, and blinked because Drift had asked the same thing.

Crosshairs didn't answer, then again he wouldn't need to in a moment. Once he was under one of the overhanging plateaus, the green and black mech pushed back his duster before sitting on the ground. As he sat Crosshairs adjusted it just slightly before lowing the hand that held Amy down to the side where the duster laid against the ground.

"It's at least better than the ground." At least with the way he had adjusted it Amy could easily curl up in his duster using it as a makeshift blanket.

Amy shifted, holding her little bundle of trash, scrunched together to be smaller. The girl reached out with her free hand, touching the softer flex-metal lining of the mech's over armor. Amy looked up and moved to try lean against the green mech's side more, but was really a warm ball against the side of his thigh, with a faint feeling of bio-energy as the girl soon gave in and was asleep.

In the background, Drift smirked, glancing at Hound before moving to be the first sentry. Hound shared the glance with Drift before walking over so he was between Crosshairs and Bumblebee.

:: _So...what's your plan?_ :: Hound asked Crosshairs.

:: _I'm making it up as I go._ :: The gunner looked over with a cocky glance. Like usual; Crosshairs never planned ahead.

:: _Really?_ :: Hound asked raising a optic brow at the other mech's answer before venting a sigh and running a hand over his face and 'beard.' :: _You don't have a plan...slag it Crosshairs._ ::

To the other side of Hound, there was soft mechanical sounds as Bumblebee transformed, light blue optics looking over in the dark. Watching the green mechs and then the spot where the human was half hidden intently.

:: _We have no experience with human sparklings._ :: Drift pointed out, starting to sharpen one of his swords, though he wasn't aware of the time their scout and 'leader' had spent with human, or how it was spent other than with those Nest humans that at least Hound had met before the attack on their shared base.

:: _Exactly._ :: Hound agreed with Drift, nodding as he sat his bulk down as quiet as possible, though he froze as the rattling of equipment made the youngling stir. The big mech eased back to lean on the wall. :: _At least human adults are self-reliant, this youngling still need care. Though she obvious had not received it from her human sire._ ::

:: _From what Roadbuster an' the others told me, yea should know something useful._ :: Crosshair's optics glanced over to Bumblebee who had finally decided to transform. Crosshairs pointed a blunted talon at Bumblebee. While he had been late to rejoin up with the other Wreckers, he had learned some things from them before they had been forced to split up.

The black and yellow mech buzzed, then warbled a soft song over his speakers, using human instruments to weave together into a Cybertronian lullaby as he walked over. There was something brown colored in his hands, pulling it out of subspace as he passed, walking over Hound's stretched out legs. Then the scout reached out and offered what looked like a polishing cloth to the newer mechs.

:: _She'll get too cold tonight, pull your over armor up to._ :: Bumblebee sent the text, not really looking up from the human.

Both mechs watched as Bumblebee came over. Crosshairs moved the upper part of his armor, so he could lay the polishing cloth over the human. Then he hocked the over armor back into place against his front, it would make the space a little tighter but he was sure the flex metal would not hurt the human. :: _Knew yea had to know of something about these little things._ ::

" _I miss the lazy days. I miss seeing my son- my family._ " The human singer's words came from the scout, reaching up to rub one hand over his retracted mask. :: _She's going to need water in the morning, lots in the day. Hot here. Food too._ ::

:: _Well the vending machine did have these things._ :: Crosshairs held up a bag of chips and a juice drink that he pulled from subspace and dropped into his palm. :: _Though from my scans only the drink seems to have any sort of nutrition in it. Still it did also have human currency stored in it._ ::

The black mech made a negative buzzing, poking one of the bags in the silver palm, :: _Bad_.:: He texted, :: _Its junk food, bad for little humans that are growing._ :

:: _Then what would you suggest? Not like we have any supply of human food._ :: Crosshairs snorted, re-subspacing the junk food, his right hand reflexively moving to where it felt different under his over armor, but making himself pause.

Bumblebee rapped one hand against his own armor, pacing as his door-wing sensors twitched. The mech shook himself, and then dug into his subspace for a klick or two. He than looked in the direction of the nearest human town.

"Oh no." Drift said from above, watching from his vantage point. :: _We are not going anywhere near the humans, Bumblebee!_ ::

Bumblebee buzzed up at him, angry, and then produced a small, half full bag of apples, holding them out to Crosshairs.

:: _Looks like we're gonna have ta' go on a raid._ :: Crosshairs commed with a large mischevious grin on his face. The green wrecker gestured with his hands as he described a raid from memory, :: _Just like back on Cybertron. Busting our way into a Decepticon stronghold, shooting everythin' in sight; setting a charge and blowing the place skyhigh!_ ::

:: _While I wouldn't mind blowing some shit up. That would give away our position!_ :: Hound growled at Crosshairs and smacked a waving hand before he looked to Drift. :: _And you can be trigger happy._ ::

:: _No shooting humans._ :: Bumblebee said, adding an glyph to enhance the others, :: _No killing or hurting unless no other choice. We have holos, and it's easy to make a credit card that can't be traced._ ::

:: _I am not._ :: The blue mech protested from his perch, and then paused, :: _Wait... Make?_ ::

"Humph, spoilsport." Crosshairs huffed aloud, in a low grump as he crossed his arms.

Hound though seemed interested as he shifted in his spot, looking at the scout frame. :: _You mean those tiny card humans use to keep their credits on?:_ :

:: _More you hurt, more they hate, better they look._ :: Bumblebee 'said' as firmly as he could, glaring back at Crosshairs. He did not want any of the three Autobots hurt or lost- even if they treated him like slag. The scout nodded to Hound, producing something small and white between two fingers, coming back to show the warrior class.

:: _Flimsy little thing._ :: Hound commented at the small thing Bumblebee was showing him. :: _So we use that little thing, get the youngling some human food?_ ::

:: _Works like gift card._ :: Bumblebee slipped the card away after Hound leand back again.

Hound hummed aloud, reaching up to scratch at his neck cables, pulling a shard of rock out of his beard. He flicked it off into the distance as the oldest of mech started going over the basic plan...if one could call it that. :: _What do we do with the organic stuff once we get it?_ ::

:: _Sub-space works like fridge for a bit, not long._ :: Bumblebee pointed at the apples he held, then he pointed at Crosshairs' side, then at the green gunner, :: _You need to learn hardlight holos, how to act. Pick one then let Amy get used to us here before using elsewhere. She won't jump at seeing 'someone strange.'_ ::

:: _Me?_ :: He asked with a scoff as Crosshairs gave Bee an incredulous look. :: _You expect me, to go hardlight holo around humans? Only reason you ever catch me near one of their cities is if I wanted to slagging mess with them._ ::

"You brought her; you are the one responsible for her." Hound growled at this, getting up easier then he sat down, and he walked over and stab a finger into Crosshairs chest. Using his build to his advantage as he switched back into the silent comms so not to wake the topic of their active dissustion, :: _If you try to push her off on us and disappear again, I swear to Primus I'll take this gernade and shove it down your throat._ ::

:: _Up the aft?:_ : Bumblebee offered, with a little smiley human style in the text, getting a laugh from above, Drift approved of that idea after all.

"There's an idea." Drift laughed again.

:: _All learn._ :: Bumblebee added, ::You didn't before, time to now. It'll help you hide too.:"

: _:Try it an' that's where my blaster's gonna be going-_ :: Crosshairs said pulling out one of his guns from his left leg, all ready to get up and shove it in Bumblebee's face. He stopped as Bumblebee pointed to the over armor that opened and there was a soft sound from inside, making Crosshairs look back down at Amy. All the mechs seem to pause as only Cybertronians could, the wrecker he wouldn't be able to get up without awakening her any more.

Slowly, with a grumble Crosshairs put his gun back away in its holster, still glaring at Bumblebee. He leaned back :: _Fine. But I'm gonna drag you slaggers with me._ ::

:: _You couldn't handle it alone._ :: the scout fired back, crossing his arms and arching an optic ridge. He had been on this planet for a long time, longer then the humans he used to work with and protect had realized.

:: _I never needed it before; I've been fine on my own._ :: Crosshairs said indignantly, moving the sleeping human and cloth up higher where she would not slide under his leg. More near his hip.

:: _You're not looking after only yourself right now._ :: Hound reasoned, the military mech pointing to Amy's sleeping face. :: _You better start looking at her as your youngling; she basically is now._ ::

Crosshairs looked down at her. What the slag had he been thinking when he picked her up?

The girl shifted as the mech did, snuggling against both the warm living metal and the blanket around her, even as the edge of the duster like over armor settled over her. It was a good thing that the mech had a thick layer of flex metal between the armor and his frame, meaning even if Crosshairs shifted the weight of his arm on that spot his cuddlier was protected.

...oh yeah, scared, little, innocent human tugged at his spark strings for pity.

:: _She likes you._ :: Bumblebee gave a crooning sound.

:: _Great. Just what I need._ _Fine, whatever. I'll worry about that in the morning._ :: He wasn't giving in; he was just making and excuse to give him more time to think of a way out. That's at least what he told himself. Crosshairs sighed to himself, and it was his turn to run a hand over his face.

:: _No, you need to make a hologram._ :: Bumblebee said, making Crosshairs twitch, and reached over to poking Hound too as the older war frame started to move away. Bumblebee crouched down between them to hold out his left hand as he projected his own holo-form, looking like and unlike his charge had been before. It was a soft light hologram so that flicked, but moved like a human under his hand.


	3. Holo-forms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen's note: This is based on a RP with a friend when the Age of Extinction movie came out, and I'm taking it over to make an story. So this chapter and many of the following are co-written with Fatala.
> 
> Added notes: The glorious green bastard and co. are learning some more about his new human.

It had been a long night of going back and forth; learning how to walk, talk, and act in holoform. Crosshairs and Hound had given Bumblebee quite a time with their antics and stubbornness over their hologram forms. It was still hilarious when they eventually pulled Drift into making his own holoform.

Crosshairs was still using his holoform in the morning, getting used to it was a new sort of challenge. Crosshairs was currently using it to lean against his own leg as he watched Amy sleeping with a thoughtful look. Between the blanket and the flex metal lining she had nested pretty comfortably against the mech, and it was well into day when she started to stir. The girl yawned and as she was facing away from the mech when she pushed to look up it would be in the direction of the 'man.'

Crosshairs had been very stubborn in keeping his holoform the way he wanted to. The mech's holo looked much like his true form; at least in his 'wardrobe'. He stood over 6 feet a tall, lanky man with scruffy, short brown hair. A pair of mismatched googles rested on his forehead; a long green and black duster was worn over a green shirt and black pants.

"Almost thought you were gonna sleep the day away."

The girl stared, long and hard as she was confused at hearing a voice like that of the Autobot, only not the same. No metallic reverb, or the same type of gravel in the voice. She gripped into a seam in Crosshairs' armor, clinging as she both twisted to look up at him, and try and get back down into that space between the outer armor and leg.

"Easy there girly. It's just me." Crosshairs said crouching down to make himself look less intimidating.

"How?" Amy was looking between the hologram and what she could of his real face from her spot, still pressed against the mech for protection, but could see the similarities now.

"Holoforms." Hound's voice came as his own holoform walked into view. "It allows us to at least mimic humans; for a time."

Crosshairs paused and added, his voice echoing a little as he spoke from the holo-form and his real frame, "It's not perfect; but it'll fool most humans for a time."

Amy stayed put for the few moments to absorb this, and after Bumblebee trilled encouragement she tried to get out from under the mech's over armor and then she echoed, "Holoform?"

One of Crosshairs true hands moved the duster up slightly so Amy could easily get out. "It's only a false image to fool humans." Crosshairs said before mumbling to himself. "Still don't see the use in these things."

"You weren't- here- before," Bumblebee said by splicing voice clips together, "Before- The Nest." The last one was a familiar voice, one of the humans that worked with the Wreckers.

Amy slid out, putting herself in arms reach of the hard light holo, then slowly reached out to poke him. Keeping her other hand on the black metal of Crosshairs' leg though.

"Yeah, yeah. So I didn't get to be part of the elite 'Nest' team." Crosshairs shrugged off as he reached glanced over at Amy who was poking his holo. The gentle poke didn't faze the holoform and to her it felt like she was poking normal human cloths.

"So... you're two people now?" The girl asked, still confused but not scared as she came out the last of the way out of the protection of Crosshairs' over armor. Looking back at Hound's own holoform as well. It was a bit odd hearing the mech alternating from talking normally and through the holoform.

"Not so much two people." Hound's holoform said before disappearing and the mech himself talking. Trying to explain it in a way the young girl would understand. "The holo is something we control and can speak through. Think of it as... as a 'costume'."

"Like in the Halloween movies?" Amy tilted her head, then daring to reach out for Crosshairs' hand in his holoform.

She looked up at a clip from Bumblebee that was of clapping and a voice spliced in, "You got it- June-Bug!"

Crosshairs holoform opened it's hand so she could touch it. While it looked human for the most part there was something's which could give the holoforms away; but that was only if one looked closely. Bumblebee had already sent some 'tips' on how to make their holoforms more human but Crosshairs hadn't added those details yet.

"It's not that warm," Amy said softly, before gripping the hand in an attempt to get comfort in an unconscious instinct. The girl came closer into arm's reach to inquisitively touch the mock cloth of the duster. "Do you us it when driving?" Though Amy knew he hadn't used it last night. She looked up to the face, and then back to the mech's real face, then back and forth as she saw his features were almost the same.

The mech's holoform shrugged. "Never made one of these things before; never saw a point in it. But this guy thought it would be a 'good' idea." Crosshairs said motioning to Bumblebee with an un-amused look.

"Young and- dumb- rookie." Bumblebee's spliced voice said back, followed by a razzing sound that had the human girl giggling, as he made a hand motion as well that she at least understood. ::Don't forget to give her food and water.:: He texted, having already done something off to the side where he would coax Amy to let her relieve herself soon, as he knew the girl would need to in the morning, as well as later on.

Crosshairs laughed. "Look who's talking." While Crosshairs had not been on earth long before shit hit the fan, he was by no means a rookie. If Amy wasn't there he probably would have pummeled Bumblebee to put him back in his place; wouldn't have been the first time he had done so. Though Drift had beaten him to it on more than one occasion. Mostly because of Amy being so close, Crosshairs showed some restraint for and just brushed off the comment.

No need to frighten the youngling.

"Here," Crosshairs said to Amy, pulling one of the apples Bumblebee had tossed over earlier and a bottle of water.

The girl just about jumped into his hand, squeaking happily. But her reaction had Bumblebee giving the human an odd, worried look as he watched. The scout was slowly starting to come out of that deadened state he'd been into, and really only Hound knew the difference of what bumblebee had been like before.

Amy moved to slide off, glancing at the holoform as it vanished as well, before she bit into the apple. A little careful until sure it was real, then settled down on the spot to eat, looking between the mechs, "What are you going to do with me?" She asked, looking back more the green and black mech then any other.

He had taken her here after all.

"It's a good question soft spark," Hound rumbled as he moved to sit down, relaxing back as much as he dared in the shade of the towering rocks around them.

"Yeah..." Crosshairs hesitated as he looked down at the girl, and then vented as he ran a hand over his face before reaching down. Blunted talons reaching out to wrap around Amy, and the girl squeaking softly as she was picked up and put on Crosshairs' right thigh. The large hand stayed near but giving the youngling some room to finish her apple. "Yea're staying with me I guess... cover. But first you need some cloths, and a bath..."

Bumblebee warbled.

The green and black mech rolled his optics, using the side of one claw to gently rub it over the girl's back in a pet, "And more food for you half pint. Yea're too thin."

"But I got out of the basement like this?" Amy half asked, finished eating the apple, tossing the seeds away from Crosshairs, though the tiny black things only making it just past his armor and falling between his legs. She blinked and scooted forward to peered over the edge of the leg as she felt being pet again.

Hound gave a snort, shaking his head as he took out a high caliber 'bullet,' a round that was made for something Crosshairs might want, but the rifle was safe in the older mech's subspace. He flipped the round over, putting it in the corner of his mouth and holding onto it with his denta and glossa. "That was cute kid, but you need to work on your throwing arm. Cross' is right, you're too thin."

Green eyes turned to look at the older mech, and even he could see the pout forming. The eldest of the Autobots present huffed softly, but waved over at the girl as the paratroop was offering her another water bottle.

"What basement soft spark?" Hound asked as he settled more into his spot, one arm over his thick armor and extra girth. He thinking of the conversations of the night before. "Where were you before this adult brat found you?"

"Yea were running from some human before yea hid under my frame." Crosshairs put in, watching the girl on his leg as she tensed at the reminder. He glanced up at Bumblebee, what should he do?

The scout frame made a small motion.

Crosshairs hesitated again before gently cupping his right hand around the human, using the edge of his thumb to rub it against the back of her shoulders.

"You didn't get those colors on your skin from just running around," Hound pointed out from his spot, getting an agreeing hum from Bumblebee. He waved a hand at the organic and Crosshairs, before stopping as he noticed the youngling flinched and looked up at him with wide eyes, "I don't know a whole lot about humans, but I remember enough from Nest. I know you're not supposed to be colorful soft spark,"

"Yeah," Crosshairs shifted his hand and gently used a blunt claw tip to very gently hock under the small chin and tilt Amy's head up so she would look him in the optics. "You're a  _long_  ways away from that alley, and city kiddo."

A small hand reached up to rest on the outer edge of the talon, surprised that despite the size difference so far Crosshairs had not hurt her. Amy fidgeted, and then spoke up as an encouraging song clip came from Bumblebee, "He was getting mean. Before I found the window unlocked."

"He?" Crosshairs echoed, thinking back as he uncurled his hand from around the girl for the most part, still cupping his fingers around her back.

"He was above, momma didn't like him, but he would bring food down." Amy started, unsure, "He normally just left me in the basement..."

Bumblebee huffed as he sat down nearly beside Crosshairs, the scout frame frowning as he looked at Amy and the other two mechs. He was aware of movement behind him as Drift coming over closer frowning to himself most likely.

"How about yea start from the start Amy." Crosshairs said, letting the girl grasp the end of his claw, nudging it gently. "Yea were in a basement, okay, how long?"

"Ever."

Hound frowned at the innocent answer, "Eh?"

Amy blinked back at him, shrugging for a moment before grasping at her ankles to feel better, "Ever, I was always down there. Even before momma vanished. That's where He said I belonged but when He started to get mean, and started to not bring food… I started playing with the window."

"And yea got out of this... basement because of the window?" Crosshairs arched an optic ridge, once more not sure how to feel about learning information from the girl.

Amy nodded, for a moment exited and then cringing, "Yeah... but it was hard to get away from Him. He grabbed my bag, it smelled bad-sour, but I got out of the straps and ran. And He was yelling, and I ran until my feet hurt… that's when I hid under you."

Green eyes tilted up to look at Crosshairs, and he rumbled before giving the human youngling an awkward pet on her back, using the back of a talon. "Yeah…you're staying with us kid."

"Indeed..." Drift said, frowning himself as he stood beside Bumblebee, and why the girl glanced over at him he made a slow motion to the girl, "For what we are worth, you are under Autobot protection now, Crosshairs' protection more so."

Crosshairs huffed, making a sound that was exasperated and something the young girl did not know what was. Something alien at least, and after a moment where the mechs were seeming to talk without talking aloud, Crosshairs spoke again. "Yeah, yeah, I found and brought her, she's my charge now."

The green and black mech gently nudged Amy before wrapping his hand around her back, not really the best of ways to give comfort but he was trying as best as he could.

"Good luck with the whole shopping thing trooper." Hound said after another pause, waving, slowly this time, at the two before putting the round back into his mouth. "But ya should bring back up with all those humans running around."

"..." Crosshairs gave a slow grin at the mechs around him as he pulled the human girl against his front. "Right. Back up."


	4. Stand Up

"How about this one?" The deep gravelly voice drew the attention of the sales associate. More so as the voice and the general shape out of the corner of her eye, it did not really match up with the overly cheerful children's section of the cloths department store. What the woman saw, was perhaps the most amazing and funniest thing she had seen this day. There was a group of three, two men and a comparative tiny girl in the arms of one of them. The bigger of the two was holding up a bright blue shirt with a Frozen theme to show the girl he was holding.

The little girl shook her head, grasping at the vest the man had, "Jammies."

"Bug, you need more than pamajas." The bigger, and darker-ish of the two men said with an evaporated sigh. This man looked very much like a 'biker' that just was not in black leather, just in working cloths. He was maybe 6 and a half feet tall and built with muscles yes, but also, quite a bit of forming chub on his front. He had a rather impressive beard, brown in color like his hair, though it had a few random bits out-right braided into it the beard was well kept and cleaned. Maybe a kind of construction with solid boots, pants like carharts, he had a plan black t-shirt and a greyish vest with enough pockets to be a work vest of some sort.

"No I don't." The little red-brown haired girl said, eyeing the next offered shirt from. She was, not quiet surprisingly dressed in a pants and shirt of blue pajamas like cloths, though had sandals. In her hand not gripping the shoulder she was braced on was a slightly too big ball cap. The girl looked like she had just been picked up from somewhere with outdoor activities with a sun burn on her face and a few stains of a kid's over-active day. The bright green eyes seemed a bit tired, though interested in what was going on to put her two sense worth in on the cloths.

"Sorry junebug, yea' need something more than that." The other man said. He was a bit taller and leaner in build, dressed a bit sharper in a surprising mix of black pants and a green shirt. Though there was no tie. This man looked up with bright green eyes, not unlike the girl's, though sharper it seemed as he seem to look right over at the retail worker. Arching an eyebrow at the young woman, he gave her the impression of the man not being impressed with many things. For a moment he almost seemed to be annoyed with her being there before calming down as he noticed the work vest.

"Are... you looking for something in particular?" The worm, Becky asked, looking between the two men.

"Thank gods," The fatter man said shifting the girl on his arm, it was impressive that he was supporting the girl with just one arm, even with how small she seemed to be. "Cory!"

"Yeah, yeah," the second man, Cory, said softly before smiling at Becky, polite and shy of charming. It was an expression of someone who was having a long day so far even if it was not very late in the day. Yet was still making the effort to be civil, "Do you work in this section?"

"Yes," Becky nodded, walking a little closer after setting down the cloths she had been folding back into place.

"My niece needs some knew cloths," Cory started, waving at the girl who was back to insisting to the bearded man that pajamas worked for everything. Cory had a basket not far from him with cloths neatly stacked inside, and his own long jacket on the back. He glanced at the girl and added in a lower voice to not draw her attention, "I just finished adopting her this morning, her... father didn't take the best care of her after my sister passed. An' though I can get…"

Cory waved at his basket, and then sighed and motioned next to the display of under things, "I never had ta get these for birthdays an' such..."

Suddenly understanding what was happening with this odd group, the woman looked over at the girl and back, "Never had to shop for underwear for little girls?"

"Nooo," Cory shook his head, aware it seemed how things could sound out of context. "An' as yea' can hear, the lass is on a pajama phase or somethin'. But she needs some cloths."

"Flower!" the girl chirped to the side.

"Finally, something ya' like..."

Becky glanced over again, eyeing the girl and turned her attention back to Cory, "How old is she?"

"Eleven." The man said, glancing back at the display.

"Well, the lines we carry, you can see the information here on most of the bags," Becky started walking over and picking up a colorful, though mostly pink bag pointing to one corner on the top and then the other. "You can see the recommended ages here on the left, and the general weight of the kids this side will fit."

Cory made a face, "Does there have to be so much...pink?"

"It is the girl section, so, yeah…there's a lot, but on the other side of this is some more colors, not much but it's there." Becky shrugged, noticing the cloths so far in the basket seemed to be in reds, yellow, black and green shades. Some mini blue jeans as well- with a flower on them, and two pajama sets.

"Hmm...thanks lass." Cory looked up, nodding to the woman- only to pause and then asked, "Actually, can I pick yea'r brain?"

Becky nodded, hearing the girl's soft voice asking 'Uncle Hound' if they could get some water. She could just see the big man melting in a way and nodding before tossing the few approved shirts in the basket and heading off to go get that with a girl flopped on his chest and shoulder. Becky spent the next hour helping this odd group- not daring to ask of the two men were just friends or partners. None the less, Becky helped by filling in the gaps of supplies needed for kids that they, or Cory did not have. It was Cory who managed to get the girl to go into the changing rooms half way through, speaking softer to Amy before she would try something else other than pajamas.

The man was willing to go pay for a set a cloths the girl finally decided were okay, still not as good as pajamas but the shorts and new yellow shirt with a white daisy on the front and back. By this point the rest of the soft-line workers had seen or met one of the group, and seeing the bruising on the girl's legs and arms made almost all twitch. No wonder this Cory was taking her in... and maybe Becky herself felt a little bit better about humanity. Even though something clearly happened to Amy, she seemed to be safely in the charge of a new guardian, family at that.

And maybe being spoiled, but that seemed to be to be okay.

Amy was dosing on Cory's shoulder when the group left, and a cart-runner relaying later on that Cory had walked to a new module corvette and put Amy inside. Then after an argument with the other man, put most of the things in an older one ton truck before the group left to the highway.

Cory glanced over at the girl in his passenger seat once on the road, considering how boring this 'raid,' had been he wasn't planning on going anywhere else. He sighed, or it seemed like it as there was an odd echo of the sports car itself doing something alike as well.

The girl looked up at him, and then the dash, "Thank you."

The holo-form reached out, ruffling Amy's hair. "Just don't expect me to do this again soon. Food is one thing, all that other stuff..."

"Pajama's are better...but I like these too." Amy felt the snort coming from Crosshairs' himself as she pulled her legs up into the passenger seat.

The not really man snorted, "Two 'shops' are too many." Cory, Crosshairs said as he had he holo-form lean back in the driver's seat. Waving in and around the traffic, to the point of getting ahead of hound. Crosshairs grinned internally, waiting until they were out of the city limits before increasing his speed, flashing a text comm. to the Autobot that he was going to drive and meet him back at the hide out rocks.

"Hang on bug," Crosshairs said finding a more unused road, with plenty of curves. There was a soft giggle from his passenger seat as Amy was pressed into the door in a turn. At least the little human wasn't much of a bother herself, and seemed happy to just ride along, even when the holo-form was shut down.

Crosshairs did not want to admit that Bumblebee had a good idea, shifting his hologram a little to match with the cover story that had been made up. How Bumblebee knew no one would ask about any possible relation between him and hound's holo-form...

He did not want to know what the humans thought.

The drive was well needed to help Crosshairs calm down, the shopping trip had been far more tense for the mecha then for Amy. With no more humans around the holo-form was dissolved and the windows tinted a bit more. Crosshairs did not slow down for a few hours, taking a long way back to the hide out in the desert. Only once he ran out of room to drive, did Crosshairs stop, shrugging open his passenger door.

Getting Amy out wasn't as hard this time, and the wrecker transformed to stretch, "Primus below..."

"What's that?" Amy asked from where she was edging closer to stand by Crosshairs' right foot, and to be under the cover of his over armor.

"What?" The mech tilted his head, glancing down and flicking the edges of his over armor to get it out of the way, kneeling down. Though keeping his right shin and pede in place, reaching down to gently poke the girl with the back of his blunted talon.

"What's a primus?" Amy aske, leaning on the mech's fingers as they were close.

"Who," Crosshairs paused, considering what he should say or if any more. "He's... our creator, what used to be Cybertron. Or...he was inside of it."

"...where you came from?" Amy asked, tilting her head back to look at the blue optics. She thought about that as she stood, on hand on the larger on coming closer to her again, watching the metal digits opening and turning to be palm up. Taking the offer, Amy crawled up into Crosshairs' hand to be picked up.

"Yes, Cybertron." The mech said as he stood and started walking, his scanners set to wide scan, above and below. "Primus is at its core. That's how my world was alive."

"Was...?" Amy echoed, and then squeaked as she was given a pet on her head and back at first. It was not as scary at first it seemed, now that Amy was grasping that the Autobots were not going to hurt her if they could help it, and the child could see that the giants of metal were making an effort not to. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah," Crosshairs paused what he was saying as he still put the girl up on his shoulder. Deciding that if he had to take care of the little organic, then he was going to start treating her like proper wrecker youngling. That started with getting Amy to start to learn how to balance on his shoulder... or against his neck.

No, it was  _not_  cute. It was  _not_  nice to have someone sparkling sized leaning against the muscle cables. Crosshairs was not going to admit he liked the feeling of Amy seeming to cuddle as she settle inside his color ridge.

"A long time ago, for you, the war with the Decepticons started on Cybertron." Crosshairs started to walk again as he explained, waving a hand upward at the darkening sky. "A lot of slag happened, a lot of mecha died, and the planet got corrupted."

"By what?" Amy asked, bracing herself in a new position, leaning on the muscle cables, deciding that she liked the feel of vibrations as Crosshairs' talked. The gravelly voice was starting to be...nice. It wasn't the too-smooth like...He had used to try and do. It was a further difference that seemed to help with that safe feeling that was starting. "Did it hurt the place? Cyber...tron?"

"Aye," Crosshairs said, letting the wrecker accent slip as he paused in the shadow of a rock outcropping. He smoothed his over armor before poking one of Amy's feet, "Megatron an' his Cons did some bad slag with dark energon. So did Sentinel, forced Wrecker crews out of the Levels after he started collapsing the levels."

There was a long thoughtful pause, as most of what Crosshairs said went over Amy's head for now. Yet she chewed on what she could grasp before asking what stood out to her. "Does that mean your world changes like you? Stands up?"

It took a moment before Crosshairs found himself letting out a bark of laughter. Once catching up to the child's likely 'logic,' "There's roomers that Primus could do that Junebug. Never saw it happen myself."

"Can that happen to earth?" Amy asked, her eyes wide at the thought of this happening. "Stand up?"

Crosshairs snorted and shook his head minutely, "Nah, not unless it's hiding Unicron, I don't think your planet with 'stand up' softspark... we're almost back to the hide out, an' yea'r getting some sleep an' all that slag."


	5. Second Night

An odd sense of movement stirred Amy awake and she shifted on her new spot. The girl looked around the dark 'camp' of the Autobots. With almost a full day of rest, and some more after they had returned and changed to a new location. Still in the desert but now in a cavern like space, Hound moved several boulders to narrow the entrance and block the natural lights from the mechs from being easily seen from outside, and not at all from above by any passing planes or helicopters.

Amy yawned, squeaking softly from her spot on the comforter blanket and under Crosshairs' over armor. The small sound did not disturb the Wrecker but somehow had gotten Bumblebee's attention, and then in turn Hound's as well.

"Hmm?" Hound pulled the 'cigar,' bullet, out of his mouth as the scout frame gave an oddly soft whistle from normal. He blinked and realized Bumblebee had stopped talking with him about the new local area and where the nearest bolt-hole should be. He turned and blinked before snorting, "Ah, the bitlet woke up? You staying in there sparkling?"

The girl hesitated, holding onto the blanket, really debating but finding that she was not scared, and attracted by the soft, reassuring sounds Bumblebee was making... Amy edged forward, she heard the bigger green mech start to chuckle as the girl fell out of the shelter of the over armor. Looking around, now standing up beside Crosshairs' leg, she found it wasn't as dark, as there was a small light source nearer to the other three Autobots.

A soft churr and shifting metal frame drew Amy's attention as Bumblebee stood, wiggling his door wings at her and holding his hands out. The scout frame ignored the huff and comment from Drift as he came closer and couched down, coaxing Amy closer and away from Crosshairs so not to wake the thorny mech. It was as hard to admit as it was not that he missed having humans around. More so the younger ones. Amy was quiet a bit younger then Sam had been but still.

The mech hummed as the girl examined his fingers for a moment, lifting her arms as his right hand came over and behind the girl. She was far too light as she sat on his fingers, but bumblebee knew that could be fixed. Bumblebee ignored the other mechs as he stood up, focusing on making sure he curled his hand the right way to keep Amy stable. He smiled in his way, the scout's other hand came up to give a small pet on the girl's side before letting her grasp his finger tip, splicing together some words from the radio he picked up a long time ago. " _Cute- little girl."_

Amy giggled.

"Ugh, ya gonna get to soft. Softer." Hound grunted, staying where he was, though did not want to admit just yet he had not minded carrying Amy in his holo-form that day.

Bumblebee wiggled his door wings at Hound before sitting down beside him, the girl still cupped in his hands around her. He played spliced together clips if human music to mimic humming a lullaby from Iacon as a gentle finger pet over Amy's legs. The girl held onto his right hand thumb and peered over it to watch the other digit as it traced down her leg, Amy was surprised and maybe a little awe that she barely felt it. Amy smiled in the mostly dark as the tip of Bumblebee's finger lightly tapped the underside of her foot.

Hound watched the surprisingly innocent interaction, not quite sure what to think of it. Amy was peering over the scout's thumb to watch the other hand, starting to lightly tap her feet on the fingertip with a soft,  _pat-pat_  sound of socks against living metal. Unexpectedly it reminded him of just before this mess, before the hunts when he had first come to this world and was resting in a joint Nest base.

He had be sitting with Leadfoot and dinking some needed energon, something that had tasted like solar that the Wreckers had made. The oldest of the Wreckers had sat up, grinning and yelled out at first it seemed Ironhide as he walked by ("Get yea'r aft over here and let me see that soft spark!"). Then Hound had spotted the organics walking between the black mech's pedes.

Fearless some of those Nest-humans had been. Hound remembered the old black Autobot snapping back at Leadfoot, but moving over only after he realized his companion had diverted course to come over. Ironhide growling the way over about Wreckers and threating Leadfoot's spark if he hurt his two charges, and the dark green mech had been surprised at seeing an organic sparkling giggling in the arms of the older. Leadfoot had been happy to sit up, shifting and holding a hand out before his snark turned into gravely rumbles when- of all things, the male human had willingly lifted the sparkling up into the waiting hand.

Bumblebee now was acting much like the older mech had back then, happy at holding something sparkling sized-

Ah.

For all the differences Amy had with a real Cybertronian sparkling, such as being the age of a new-spark that couldn't leave an adult's frame for the warmth. Amy was about the same size, yet able to see and focused like a sparkling just about twenty local years old. Just able to really interact, only Amy was able to communicate easily.

Hound pulled a drag off his bullet, feeling a little tang that came from a dude round, sharp like the taste of nickel ore but not as sour. Leadfoot had been happy back then to have the human sparkling climb up to his helm and visit for a few kliks, promising to get her first training weapon made before Ironhide did- and starting an argument between himself, Ironhide and the girl's sire about when that was appropriate, much to the sparkling's bemusement and Hound's enjoyment.

"Ya really like the kid." Hound mused aloud, watching Bumblebee's wide optics look up at him before the scout frame hummed a broken note from his real voice box. Amy giggled as she was lifted and given a nuzzle, leaning against the large cybertronian face she was now against. Hound grunted at the over-obvious display of affection, shaking his head. "Primus we shouldn't be getting' attracted..."

"Good luck with that Hound." Drift said from his spot, sitting where his back and sides were safe against solid rock, not unlike how Crosshairs had wedged himself, only higher up.

"Yeah, yeah..." Hound grunted again, settling his bulk down in a better position. "Get some recharge while ya can Drift, it's your turn anyways."

Bumblebee chittered in agreement in his own way, lowering Amy to let the girl climb onto his thigh, before offering her something edible that made the girl squeak once it was closer. She nibbled and looked up between Bumblebee's sapphire and Hound's own teal optics. She could really only see those points the clearest.

"Thank you," Amy's voice was soft, after sorting out that Drift must be sleeping. There was more to the gratitude then just for the snack, Bumblebee attempted to hum out a welcome without using a clip he had many of.

Hound rumbled something back, looking to the entrance and his long rang scanners again. He was not so surprised that Amy would nod off herself again, but he was surprised to find she did nap on his ankle before making it back to Crosshairs' over-armor for the rest of the night. The lean mech lifted the edge as he woke up enough out his dose to realize Amy was missing- sort of, but trying to get back where he put her against his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be (am) writing out that image/memory of Grandpa Leadfoot... so expect to see that soon =D


	6. Walking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another set up and transfer chapter, and yes, in my head-space/head cannon Wreckers prefer to carry sparklings up on their shoulders or in the collar ridge, freeing up their hands.

If nothing else, if there was one thing Amy was learning how to do, that she never thought should could, was balance. Over the last few days she was feeling well rested yes, mostly as Crosshairs just let her sleep whenever she felt the need to. The Wrecker had let her dose while sitting in his passenger seat, or in the crook of his right arm and partly against his front.

For the first day or two as the group moved west to this bolt-hole place Bumblebee wanted to find.

After that, Crosshairs had paused before entering the forest Hound was thumping into, watching as Bumblebee and Drift transform and walk in. The scout more just... vanishing as was Bumblebee's strange habit. The trooper shook his head, frowning down at Amy as she sat on his forearm right over the attached casing for extra ammo, clutching green and black armor. He needed his hands free now, but at the said time, Crosshairs was not really quite ready to open his armor pocket.

"Okay yea lil' bug," Crosshairs vented, reaching over with his left hand to nudge the girl with the back of a claw to get her full attention. The mech kept his voice low, not that the other mechs couldn't hear him if they really tried. "If yea're gonna be my responsibility an' all that slag... come on, up yea get."

Blinking, Amy shifted, using the larger hand to stand up, clinging to Crosshairs' as his wrapped digits around the girl. He gave a flicker of a smile at the resulting squeak as he lifted Amy up higher not lowering to the ground. The mech tilted his head to the right as he boosted the youngling to the space between his neck and the high collar ridge.

"Gotta get yea trained like a proper Wrecker sparkling bug," Crosshairs said, watching as best he could from the corner of his optic. Feeling Amy waver and brace against the side of his face, his fingers and blunted talons gently helping to guid the girl. He chuckled lowly in amusement as Amy dropped a bit, finding the odd space between armor and frame. He hummed, the gravelly voice getting a much thicker accent for just a few moments. "Adda girl, just don't try pullin' muscle cables. Yea'll be safe in 'ere."

"Safe?" Amy echoed, looking around as the large hand poked her one last time before vanishing, giving a little more light to look around this new place. She blinked and looked at what was under her hands, the black-grey colored metal was almost cored like, only thicker than her legs. But like so many things about Crosshairs, or any of the Autobots she had met, and been aloud near (Drift had gently but firmly turned Amy around and towards hound once before, and the girl stayed away from him so far after that), it was more than just metal.

The muscle cables as Crosshairs called them where warm just like his frame, if not a little warmer as the collar ridge surved as a wind break around his neck, and now Amy. The metal was oddly malleable and softer than expected, not like his face or the flex metal lining between body-frame and the over armor. they flexed slightly as Crosshairs started to walk again, minutely adjusted not unlike what a human mucles would do under skin.

It wasn't so bad, there was a distinct closed in feeling of her new spot that Amy like, but not so much. It did feel safe where she was. The girl pulled her legs in after her, so they weren't peeking out, shifting around and clinging to the mech's neck as he moved. Edging up and back, now with her feet braced on the inside of the high collar ridge and leaning to her right, a little more against the back of Crosshairs neck. She could still peek out. From the front or back behind if the girl dared.

However, less than ten minutes into riding in this new spot, Amy found out that she needed to stay low the hard way. As something had grabbed the attention of not just Crosshairs but the others, thus Amy's head got a good bonk from the edge of Crosshairs' jaw line. She winced, cringing against the unintentional smack as the mechs field thickened around her, wrapping around the girl that did not cry out.

Crosshairs frowned, splitting his attention to give silent reassurance to the girl while freezing at hearing a distant engine. His talons twitching in the air over one of his side arms, having pushed the over armor aside. He was ready to open the holster, but hesitating with no target visible.

"Come on," Hound grunted from ahead, "Time ta vanish like Unicron."

"Yeah..." Crosshairs muttered walking after though keeping one of his scanners back on the human pickup. He could see Drift now, coming out of a ready attach crouch, with Bumblebee firmly planted between the blue mech and where the humans were.

"Cross...?" Amy half asked, just under and back of the mech's left audio.

"Stay down, an' quiet bug." Crosshairs rumbled back, moving his frame through a bunch of organic trees was bad enough; Hound was in a class of  _Loud_  all on his own. Yet four Autobots trying to move around on this planet outside of a highway?

Primus below...

Thankfully Amy was at least quiet for the walk, at least until Hound and Drift started getting louder to yell at one another. Bumblebee came back from his forward scouting to buzz angrily at them, though he stayed notably lower. Crosshairs snorted at them, moving away a bit to help Amy down to the ground, making the girl wait long enough to take a roll of 'tp' he unsubspaced before letting the girl go to find a suitable place to relieve herself. The mech leaned on a thicker tree, watching the semi-controlled chaos of an in-fight.

What was it about?

Crosshairs had no idea, and stayed out of reach and out of direct line of sight, sending a text burst to Bumblebee that he would not be far off. The mech paused a few strides away, remembering Amy almost too late. He flicked out his scanners and moved the direction he had picked the organic up. She was emerging from behind a tree, looking more content then when she left.

The Wrecker gave another half flicker of a smile before waving at Amy, and as she came closer lowered a hand for her to scramble up into. "Back up yea get," Crosshairs said, boosting Amy back up to his neck, tilting his head to let her hide back under the collar ridge again.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked, peek up a lot more cautiously this time, leering of getting smacked again. "Not to the others?"

"When those slaggers calm down bug, or Bumblebee comes finds us." Crosshairs shrugged as he walked, heading the general direction of west again, he could feel Amy shift slowly around the back of his neck as he talked. The mech tilted his head back a bit, just enough to hear the girl squeak, and then a faint giggle as he straightened up. "At least someone is enjoyin' themselves."

"Yep," Amy nodded against the muscle cables, settling herself to be more laying down while leaning against the mech. She was getting the hang of his walking movements like this now. "Crosshairs?"

"Hmm?"

"What's a Unicron?"

The Wrecker face-palmed, venting a deep sigh like sound before attempted to explain. Some twenty minutes later Amy was just as confused as when he attempted to explain Primus. Only this time it ended with glow-beetles and some other cyber-fauna from Crosshairs' home world.


	7. Just The Lone Wolf...  (...and puppy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feels
> 
> The scary
> 
> The cute
> 
> [Primus I hope this is good character development for Crosshairs]

It was just plain water, no useful additives and solvents to use. Well, he did have some proper things bit Crosshairs was not stupid enough to use them. Not here. One thing it would leave a giant sign that a Cybertronians was around. Two he did not have enough for the whole pool- lake and there might be a wash-rack in the bolt hole. Three, some of Crosshairs' favorite solvents, 'soaps,' that he had left over would quite easily burn Amy in a few ways. More so if any of it was not rinsed or dried off properly.

...and it would kill off a lot of the local wild life. Not so much a big seal to the Trooper, but again it would be a glaring sing he had been there.

Water, however plain, was still far better than the grit in Crosshairs' pedes, what was nearly in his joins as well as the growing amount of annoying stains on his person and his over-armor.

Crosshairs paused in his scrubbing, turning his attention away from his right leg as he heard giggling. The mech arched an optic ridge as he watched the girl back on shore for a few moments. He gave a faint snort, but felt himself quirking up a half smile as he watched the sparkling sized girl splashing in the smaller waves caused by his movements.

"Have fun there bug?" Crosshairs asked, shifting where he sat in the lake. He flicked some water off his hand in Amy's direction. None of it made it, but he got another giggle, "Just donna fall in."

"Okay!" Amy chirped, for now still just knee deep, the mech-made waves not too bad to scare her anymore, though her shorts were getting notable wet when she sat on the beach. It let Amy continue to follow and peer at the minnows and water bugs, both categories staying as far away as possible from the Wrecker.

Crosshairs turned back to what he was doing, trusting for now that Amy would stay on the shoreline where she would be safe. His attention turned back to scrubbing at his leg, working the brush-poof under the edge of an armor plate to get an itchy spot. The water was slowly becoming hazy as Crosshairs cleaned up, the sounds of water and Amy's smaller happy squeaks as she discovered new things behind him now filling his audios. With the sun peeking through the over cast sky it wasn't too bad of a day in his opinion.

The Wrecker stretched out his leg, swishing it in the water as he leaned back, feeling the cool water seep into a few new places. Like that space between his back and the over armor. It felt good, and it felt good to get cleaned up as Crosshairs sat back up to start scrubbing on his arms, catching a the sound of a yip.

He glanced back, watching to be sure Amy had her feet in that new wave, tensing a moment as he watched her plop down. The mech made himself relax as he saw that Amy was still in the shallows, she was not being pulled deeper. She was safe. Crosshairs turned back to scrubbing only after he saw Amy scoot back and start softly splashing. The mech gave a deep vent, ignoring the slight gargle from being in the water, once again he thought about his reactions, and actions.

"Primus," Crosshairs muttered to himself, switching legs to scrub, taking his time on his knees and ankle joints. Switching to a softer scrubby for that and a smaller one for the cleft grasping claws on his pedes...

Claws?

Crosshairs paused to lift his free hand, examining his blunted claws.

"Frag...I've been neglecting mahself on this dirt ball." Crosshairs said, rubbing two fingers together as he took note of the scraps and groves not just on his talons but his hands as well. The wrecker slowly flexed his left fingers, extending the claw tips proper. They were still sharp and mostly clean, but could use some care as well. He really was neglecting his overall heath.

As there was a small giggle from behind him, and working to his left, Crosshairs was starting to make a list of what to do. What he could do right now and what could be done using human related things if there was no washrack. That though trailed off into another as Crosshairs paused with scrubbing, lowering his arm from his front and turned to stare at Amy. The Wrecker was not sure how he felt suddenly, watching his charge...

His?

Primus.

Crosshairs huffed softly to himself as he worked through what he was feeling in regards to Amy as he watched the girl chasing minnows and dragon fly larva. The trooper made sure the little human had food and water whenever she asked now. He was even checking that a little more than the first week, given Amy's habit to just be quiet about her needs. Crosshairs looked down at his hands, suspicious of his own behavior until now.

The Wrecker shifted in the lake, making waves again as he did so, but this new position let him keep an optic on the human sparkling. Starting to slowly scrub his other leg as she climbed on a fallen tree mostly in the water.

What would Optimus think of his behavior? Primus what would Roadbuster do and say to him if the Foreman found out about this? Chew him out and drop kick him likely. Or leave Crosshairs on this planet.

"Alright bug...kid let's get going." Crosshairs shifted, moving to sit on his knees. He flailed his armor and shook himself, starting to get up. Only once crosshairs was in the kneeling position and rocking up right, he felt his right pede suddenly start to slide out from under him in a rare slip, "Frag!"

The wrecker wavered, the lake bottom acting like a slicked tub to him, there was no rocks for him to get traction. Resulting in a scramble and a face plant into the water Crosshairs was glad none of the other mechs could see. The mech growled, the sound gargled in the water as he twisted and kicked his right leg to straighten it out so he could sit back up again.

Crosshairs' head broke the surface and he spat out a mouth full of water, "Primus fragging slag-" he coughed, clearing more water out of his intake. "No one saw that... you okay kid?"

The mech looked up as he carefully stood again, only to turn as he did not get a response. Crosshairs stared at the place where the girl had been and the tree still rocked in the water, and then his teal optics widened as he jerked upright realizing he saw  _nothing_. "Amy?"

The Wrecker activated his short range scanners, sweeping them over the tree line. If some human grabbed the girl when he was not looking- Crosshairs' hand stopped as he picked up heat and bio-energy not from the forest but from a spot in the  _water_.

A spot that was about six and a half feet deep.

With a panicked warbling sound, a half roar to a human's ear, but still purely alien-robot sound, Crosshairs launched himself back to the shore. "Amy!"

Both hands extended, the tall mech felt himself slipping again, yet this time turned it into a half slid. His hands dropping into the water and closing around the warm, but still body. Smaller hands were gripping his fingers even before he pulled the girl out of the water, cursing in cybertronina the mech lifted the girl up to his chest level before hearing a tiny gasping. Releif flooded through Crosshairs' chest and the spark frame itself as the gasping turned to coughing. "Primus sparkling- Amy, how did- slag."

Crosshairs had slipped, his sheer mass of metal had been displacing water all afternoon and making waves that Amy had been playing in. With that fall it would have made a much bigger wave, knocked her over and pulled her out of her depth.

"Fragging-" Crosshairs growled at himself, cutting off what he was going to say as he felt the shivering in his cupped hands, rising up to his full height and well away from the lake. Water cascaded off and out of his frame, some murky around his lower legs, as he reached into subspace, flicking out a kind drying cloth he used with cleaning weapons. It was stained, but it was clean of cemicals, and would absorb better then a slandered polishing cloth. He wrapped it around the girl, holding the human sparkling against his front for a long minute, staring down intently and running his scanners over the girl several times, checking and duble checking to be sure Amy's lungs were clear, and they were.

"Primus..." Crosshairs muttered, looking around before hesitating, making sure he had a good grip on the shaking girl, he walked carefully back in the water. He grabbed his scrubby and a brush to shove in subspace. Walking back out he peered back down at Amy the Wrecker Accent slipping again, "I'm sorry lil' lass...I didn't mean to do that."

Amy tucked her head down, pressing it into the cloth against the joint of mech's thumb. A reflex, worried she would be in trouble. She had climbed onto the tree that went deeper then her knees. Crosshairs had told her not to go deeper than that- to stay on the shore-

The mech's blunted claws shifted around Amy, drawing her out of the fresh memory of being underwater. Of seeing only a murky color as her body had just locked up, breathe held but unable to do, or not knowing what to do. The side of one talon rubbed against her back, rubbing the cloth around to help dry the girl off before a deep rumble started against her side and legs. The vibrations and sound became deeper, still having that gravely edge of Crosshairs' voice, but a steady sound.

A purring sound.

"It's alright soft spark," Crosshairs reassured, keeping both hands over the child as he started to slowly rub the cloth over her still thin frame.

"...'em sorry..." Amy's voice was muffled, still curled up, not unlike that first time he had seen her after transforming. Protecting her front and neck.

Teal optics narrowed for a moment before Crosshairs made sure to flood his energy field with not just his relief but now something warmer, calming and maybe yes, affection too. His voice reflected the purring, "It's not yea fault Amy. I was the one ta slip, I knocked yea over with that wave. Come on my lil' soft spark, let me see yea?"

Crosshairs was supporting Amy against his chest with his left hand while he used the digits of his right to work in and rub the cloth over the girl. His blunted talons were gentle, the movement half pets but trying to be reassuring at the same time. It took until the shivers nearly faded, only one once ever thirty seconds before scared, and unsure green eyes peeked up.

"There ya are," Crosshairs smiled, still keeping up the purring, the curved edge of talon gently brushed against Amy's head before he genly scooped her into his right hand. Pulling the cloth off the mech hesitated a moment and moved to get a new one for the girl. "I think it's time ta go,"

And teach her how to swim... somehow. But not right now, that was for much later on.

"…am I in trouble?" Amy's small voice asked, still worried.

Crosshairs was careful to keep the annoyance at himself out of his voice and field. He lifted Amy up to his optic level, hoping he was doing the right thing as his voice was sure and calm. "No. Yea're not. Not at all."

As no one was around that Crosshairs knew of, even if that scout was, he tilted his head forward, gently, carefully letting himself nuzzle against the girl. After a moment Amy outright pressed against the larger face, resting against his right cheek as the optic above her squinted slightly. The girl rested there, feeling the living metal and the many ridges that gave Crosshairs' face texture. Finally, Amy started to relax, and nuzzled back against the mech, feeling him rumbled back before she was pressed a little tighter against him for just a moment.

The girl watched as both large hands cupped around her again as she was lowered down. She looked up, eyes wide as she grasped that she really was not in trouble. Watching Crosshairs' face intently as he seemed to debate something. One of his hands moved over top her, giving her back and shoulders a half pet, half scritch in that way he seems to do.

"Alright," Crosshairs said, more to himself as he opened an armor pocket, using his free hand to lifted a panel of armor over his chest. "Alright, yea're mine. My charge. My responsibility an' all that slag. Let's get yeah in where its safest fer a while."

"...safest?" Amy echoed, blinking as she stared at what was happen, squeaking as she was lifted back up close to the mech's frame. Realizing there was a short...way? under the panel that was lifted.

"Ya, I got an armor pocket, its ta keep sparklings safe," Crosshairs tried to explain. Pausing, he would not force the girl but finally felt ready, more so after that scare, to let her in. "Yea can hide in there fer a while. Warm an' dark."

"Warm?" Amy echoed, she gripped at Crosshairs' fingers and peered in. The girl glanced at the ground far below, and the lake water not far. She shivered before wanting to be hugged like her mother used to. Feeling the mech's digits were wrapped around her was nice, but with the size difference... She peeked up to look at what she could of Crosshairs' face around his chest. The girl reached out and gripped at green armor. The purring came back at that deeper tone as Amy was moved closer and boosted up, not unlike how the mech would help her get up to that spot between his neck and collar ridge.

'Armor pocket' was a pretty good description of the spot, it wasn't very big at all being in the mech's frame proper. It was a space made in a Cybertronian's body to carry their young, the younger sparklings that could not survive outside of a safe area on their own. Where the adult frame was able to provide heat, protection under the thicker armor plates, but more, the pocket was near to the spark. As much to help keep the sparkling calm, but help creatures or caretakers bond.

In this case, Crosshairs hummed in surprise as something...affected him at feeling Amy willing to go in, even if just to hide for a while. The paratrooper and gunner twitched as systems he had forgotten about suddenly kick started for the first time in a few thousand years, thinking there was a sparkling. Inadvertently pushing the girl the last bit into the pocket.

"Okay, I fergot about that." Crosshairs ran a hand over his face, his other resting over his chest, and forced his systems to crack the armor pocket back open. He was not going to let it seal, human sparklings needed air flow unlike Cybertronians sparklings. There was something just... satisfying, or relaxing about having those sensor lighting up, it had been a Predacon sparkling the last time he had used the armor pocket. Saving it from the Decepticons on a colony world, and in turn he had gotten shuttle for returning the little nipper.

Crosshairs rumbled, realizing he had let himself get attached this much. Amy was his sparkling now, not just a forced charge, not an organic pet. Not just a cover aid.

She was abandoned and neglected by humans, former caretakers.

Crosshairs found her.

Cybertronian law, she was an abandoned sparkling.

Now his.


	8. Unexpected

"What are you doing?" Crosshairs asked, shifting his attention down to the small girl in his lap. He watched her freeze, wide eyed at being 'caught,' before she peeked up from her spot. The trooper hummed to reassure, realizing he had startled Amy, not wanting to really discourage even this small form of adventuring after the near drowning the day before. He really did not mind the girl touching and inspecting the armor on his front, or almost any armor panel since she was introduced to Crosshairs' armor pocket.

Amy still lowered her hands in reflex to compact herself, but hesitated as a large hand came over to wrap around her back. She relaxed once realizing this was the hug-ish like motion the mech sometimes did. "Crosshairs?"

"Hmm?" The mech tilted his head, careful of his blunted talons, he shifted the girl closer to his front. Holding her there a moment as he shifted on his perch.

"Where are the others?" Amy finally dared to ask, thinking of Bumblebee and the small data pad he would play cartoons on for her to watch before Amy would retreat to sleep with or near Crosshairs' frame.

"Somewhere around 'ere..." The green Wrecker hummed, looking out over the expanse of tree tops. Crosshairs was partly up a small spire, enough to be up above the tree line but not so much that he was standing out. That much... Crosshairs was crouching, balanced on the solid rock between two trees, trying use his coloration to blend in. Making use of his black markings to, hopefully, break his outline up. It was very basic camouflage yet that worked more often than not against humans. "Looking fer movement out there June-bug, trees shaking will likely be Hound's big aft."

"...aft?" Amy echoed, still confused at this term.

"Hmm…bumper? Back side?"

"Butt?" Amy asked, listening to the chuckle beside and above her.

"Yeah, that's in. Hound has a big butt." Crosshairs grinned despite himself, shifting slowly. One hand reached down to cup around Amy for a moment, just holding the girl against his armored front for a minute. Then he started to boost her up a little more until she could climb up onto his left shoulder. The blue-green optics watching the girl get her feet, grasping the edge of his shoulder guard and the higher collar ridge, "There yea are lil bug. Car yea hang on?"

"I think so," Amy shifted and held onto the armor beside Crosshairs' helm. She peered up at his optics as the mech was staring back before deciding Amy was able to hold on for now. The girl ended up kneeling down to loop her arms over the collar ridge as she leaned on it. She could rest her own chin on an arm and watch the forest as well, or turn to look down Crosshairs' back or just behind him. "How long are we going to be up here?"

"Not too long, I don't think." The mech said, leaning on one of the trees a little more, but stopped when it started to creek in protest. "The bolt hole is around here, and the others will be moving."

"What if they found it first?" Amy asked, favoring looking behind the mech at the small gap of visible forest from her point of view. Crosshairs was watching everything forward, she was trying to be helpful in some way.

Crosshairs arched and optic ridge, he had considered that before climbing up here. He was pretty sure despite everything Bumblebee would send a short burst over Cybertronians communication lines... well, no. Hound might do the burst, Bumblebee would back track and track Crosshairs down. The scout frame had done so already to find him, Hound and Drift.

"Then they found it first, get the energon flowing fer us." The mecha chuckled, settled a bit more on his heels and lifted a hand automatically to give Amy's side a light pet with the sides of his own blunted talons. "Maybe somethin' shiny fer yea June-bug."

"Shiny things are nice." Amy considered, smiling a little shyly as the mech chuckled under her. She still did not mind the 'small' pets off and on, realizing that it had been a slow show of affection in his way. That was alright, Amy honestly was not extremely used to getting affection. Learning what Crosshairs did in these small stages was alright by Amy. So it didn't bother the girl at all feeling the claw run up her side, over her shoulders and down Amy's back. It was in fact comforting, more so at night when Crosshairs let Amy hide under his over armor, the flex metal soft but the weight had been oddly reassuring since the start.

"They are, should get you learning minerals," Crosshairs said, realizing that his charge was not really learning much. Well, not that Amy was not learning. Everything almost was new to her, and the girl was still relatively daring to explore away from Crosshairs' pedes. At least she was until the day before.

A little, but understandable set back.

It was a thought to consider, at the very least humans should be able to read and write their own languages right? The mech frowned as he looked down at Amy, realizing that he did not know what her education level was. She spoke just fine, seemed to read a few things, and when not scared the girl was sharp enough to adapt to life with a Wrecker and Autobots the last few local months.

Movement in the trees drew Crosshairs' attention first, and then Amy's as she realized he was really looking at something not scanning. For a few quiet moments, the two stared and watched a tree in the semi-distance shake a little. Shake a lot really in an almost pattern.

"What is that?" Amy asked at last, a small hopeful thread in her voice.

Crosshiars grinned, nudging the girl lightly with the side of his helm, "Likely Hound's large aft. He can't stealth to save his spark. Probably tripped on the roots." The green Wrecker was shifting, reaching up again to nudge Amy as he tilted his head away from her, "Up and over ya get bug, we're going back down."

The girl scrambled, but got the hint and fell over the large collar ridge. There was a muffled giggle as Amy sorted herself out to hang on. It had a flicker of a smile lifting the corner of Crosshairs' mouth before he started to climb down a little to stand. Once sure Amy wasn't going to fall out, and feeling her hanging onto the muscle cables. The climb down was smoother then on the way up, had anyone been watching from another perspective they might be surprised at how graceful a being that tall and made of metal could be so graceful.

Crosshairs had incredible balance, though his jumps were a little shorter than normal, trying to keep his trip down the mountain as smooth as possible. He did not want to half to catch a little human sliding free after all. It was also a pride thing as he used his over armor to help keep his balance as much as he used it in freefall to control his decent. He was far better than some rookie, Crosshairs could make the trip and not dislodge his charge or hide her in an armor pocket un-needed.

He jogged the last bit down from slope to level ground, the mech slowly evened out his stride. Slowing to quiet his steps as much as to not run smack into the tree branches, there were far too many branches around at his chest and head level. Another giggle though had Crosshairs smiling as he glanced to the side, despite knowing he could not see Amy, "Liked that?"

"It was...fun." Amy seemed surprised at this, daring to shift from where she hand been hanging onto the back of the mech's neck. When Crosshairs just kept walking she peeking out. Putting a hand on the right side of the mech's jaw so he would know she was there.

"It was eh?" Crosshairs chuckled, looking around and stretching out a scan. The density of the trees interfered a bit, yet he could pick up another mass of Cybertronian, living metal. Only one though?

...no, there were two, and the profiles were different than any of his semi-companions. Not to mention closer then what they had been before. Or another group?

"Yeah," Amy was saying, her voice thankfully still soft in his right audio. It wouldn't travel far.

"Maybe we can do it again, or a small drop." Crosshairs said, his voice staying lower now. He used the sound and motion of flicking his over armor to cover the sound of his holsters shifting open partly. Not all the way but easier to reach for his weapons. "After we sort out how ta' get yea learnin' to swim."

The girl made a face, and a protesting sound.

"Don't give me that June-bug, can't have that happen again." Crosshairs tilted his head, nudging Amy lightly with his jaw as he scanned again with sensors and his own optics. Where had that smaller form gone?

"I don't think I like water anymore." Amy said, ducking but sensing something was going on, she moved to lean on the inside of the collar ridge.

"Don't say that, yea need it. And yea're not gonna let one bad experience ruin somethin' that covers most of yea're planet-"

The attack came far sooner than Crosshairs was half expecting, and not from a mech like he had been expecting. The metallic snarl was barely enough warning for Crosshairs to turn, and jerk back at the sight of a cyberwolf mid jump.

For a moment, or three, time seemed to slow down. The Wrecker gaped even as his hands started to drop to his thighs and his weapons. Two things fitted into place suddenly, as Crosshairs recognized the blunted muzzle of the cyberwolf. How the jaws were malformed to look shorter and show 'canine fangs' even when they were closed. He saw the green metal like collar band. The other, far more important thing was Crosshairs realizing the angle the cyber creature was jumping: high. To even knock a mech Crosshairs' size off balance it would have to jump high and fast.

Crosshairs hands jerked up as his claws flexed out fully, no longer blunted but curved and sharp as he stepped back again. With a short scream in his right audio, time was snapping back in a rush. The mech trying to shove the cybertronian creature off him before those shortened, but still powerful jaws could clamp down on his right shoulder or that side of his neck.

" ** _No!_** " Crosshairs barked the command in Cybertronian as the cyberwolf impacted against his chest, sending Crosshairs back first to the ground in mad scramble. The mech feflt himself hitting one of the trees and landing on another as Crosshairs hocked his claws into the wolf's jaw and  _pulled_  to keep them open as his left hand grabbed for the collar. " ** _Steeljaw- No! Bad wolf! Bug?_**  Bug! Amy?!" He switched back to English, trying to see where the human was, and heard a scared sound just above his head. "Run!"

Amy sat up in the earth and dirt, for a moment dazed and not hearing things before she jerked and twisted around. Eyes wide and scooting back from the wrestling mass of green mecha and silvery-white alien robot dog giant... What on earth?

The girl scooted back farther from where she had been thrown from the wrecker. Falling of Crosshairs foot, or even from hounds chest to an open hand was not anything like what had just happened. Everything hurt, yet in a dull detached way as Amy sat up, staring blankly for a moment at the chaos in front of her. The cybertronian orders being barked out by Crosshairs, the snarls and scraping of claws on metal. The sight and  _sound_  of the big dog like jaws snapping at the air all of ten feet away from the girl suddenly consumed her awareness. All her attention on how those jaws and alien, jagged teeth were trying to bite through Crosshairs' own claws-

"Amy!" Crosshairs yelled, jerking the girl's attention to him as his goggle and lenses dropped into place to protect his optics. " _Move!"_

All at once the adenine kicked into a higher gear. Amy's small frame lurched back, dropped after a first attention to rise then getting to her feet on the second try. Later on, Amy would not remember getting up, or even how she got the added cuts not from being ejected off her former safe perch. Only partly aware of Crosshairs heaving the creature on top of him to one side, cursing in his own native language as she ran away. Amy had no idea where to run too, just took off with a sort of blind trust that it was a better direction then inside the maw of a Cybertronian animal like she had almost been.

That thought popped up ever so helpfully, fueling Amy's run as she remembered the creature midair, seeming aiming for her and Crosshairs' neck. It gave the girl that extra bit of strength to not only climb up and over a fallen tree, but once she fell over the other side to get back up. She rolled in pine needles and moss, with a few twigs, then she was up about to run again when the outline of a mecha appeared ahead and two her left.

"Bumblebee?" Amy asked, startled at the appearance and blurting out the first name she knew. Bumblebee was nice, and had apples for her, but he had been trying to be nice even when Crosshairs was not to him-

"What the frag is this?" the mech said, the voice having a strangely familiar growl and accent. Yet the voice itself was enough to stop Amy even as she had started for the mech. Staring up at the black and red mech as his visor was turning down to look right back at her.

Amy swallowed, backing up a step as the red and orange shades of the visor staring to shift to get green in it. The face was alike to Hound to the girl, only for a moment though as she focused on the shape of the 'beard.' Not nearly as 'curling' or as...jingly, with no added charms, almost like it was combed and shaped.

"Wrong mech squishy," The mech said coming out into the sunlight, frowning down at the girl as she backed up again, but his strides were far longer than Amy's. There was a grill of his alternate mode on his chest, and two tires on his sides giving the illusion of the mech being thicker but not as 'fat' seeming as Hound. He had something in his left hand, but Amy wasn't sure if it was a sword like Drift's or something else as the mech spoke up again, "I'm  _no_  Autobot lass-"

That was all it took, making Amy start and scramble back and to her right, though not one to be a screamer when afraid. The girl cried out for the only real person that seemed to care about protecting her. "Crosshairs!"

Then Amy was bolting as she saw a large clawed hand starting for her, missing the mech saying, "Wait- what? Frag come back here!"

The black and red mech swung his improvised cane around, making another grab for the human. His talons just missing the girl but the tip of one caught on her shirt. It knocked her off balance to drop, but she was already scrambling back up again. The girl could only remember the stories the mech had told. Crosshairs and Hound talking about... Decepticons! That was the word. They had talked about how those mechs had destroyed colony worlds and organic worlds. That Decepticons did not care for organic beings like her.

"Come 'ere lass." The mech's voice boomed above and behind Amy, the girl yelping as she ducked, throwing herself in a roll. Tucking her head and lifting her arms to protect, trying to mimic how Crosshairs rolled into and out of his alternate mode. It was far from the green mech's grace, but the tumble worked as it seemed to confuse the strange mech.

It gave Amy a chance to get up, glanced back to see her wide eye, dirty expression in the big glowing visor. A moment to see that this mech was struggling to get back to his feet. She saw him frowning and opening his moth again. She saw sizeable fangs, not unlike what Crosshairs had and used to tease her at night.

Amy yelped again, not a true screen as she back peddled, turned and ran with a fresh surge of adrenaline.

"Oh no yea don't," The mech growled, straightening and swung the big metal... bar? Sword?

Amy ducked, using her small size to get under the big metal... thing. But it twisted back and she dropped to the ground once more, "No, no, no!"

"Just hold still yea lil' squishy." The mech demanded, getting back up from where he had tripped, his free hand moving from the damage on his left shoulder.

"No!" Amy scooted away and then over a raised root.

"Yes! Stay!"

"No!" Amy was already around the tree, looking back and forth before spotting a bigger tree as she heard first one, then a second foot step from a several dozen ton form. Maybe it was the first time the sound was not reassuring as she got her feet again and ran to, then around the old growth tree.

"Don't yea dare," The red and black mech said, and vented a sigh as he saw the small human skitter around behind the tree. It was old enough that it towered over most average sized Cybertronian's, and wide enough that it was impossible for him to look around. Or even reach around.

The big mech moved to one side, and Amy jerked and scooted the other way, hands on the big tree's rough, but warm bark. She looked from one side to the other, trying to sort out how to run again, even as an exhausted shaking started. The adrenaline high ebbing out of the young, rather abused frame as she darted to the right, then to the left.

After a full loop and a half of the tree, Amy could hear the mech growl out, "Primus... Lass stop this slag."

"No!" Amy squeaked out, feeling her daring leaving her with the adrenaline but even as she shivered. All she could really think about was those stories, and how even Drift had taken a moment to pull her off the ground and lift Amy up to his optic level one night. He had been very clear, and serious, when Drift told the girl to always run away from mecha that were not Autobots. This mech was not an Autobot, he had said so- and she was not going to stay still to be grabbed. The girl whined softly as the mech moved, she cried out again, a little more desperately this time, "Crosshairs!"

"I'm too old for this scrap." The mech grumbled, glancing from one side to the other, pausing and listening for the human's movements as much as she was likely listening. The mech shifted to his right, and the girl scooted, then in the other direction as he leaned to the left.

This had gone on enough, and though feeling a twang of guilt, the bearded mech swung the cane like bar of metal. It hit and crashed into the ground and the left side of the tree, denting through the bark.

...And making the human girl yell and jerk into movement by reflex. Amy was young enough to fall for it as she scrambled away from the sudden movement, sound and glint of metal. It was not until the strange mech was sucking to his right again and reaching around the tree that she realized what had happened.

The bearded mech's claw tips got a better grip this time, jerking Amy farther off balanced before those talons closed around her. The hand followed her down this time as Amy tried to drop to get away. The girl was grabbed, pulled closer and as Amy put her hands forward to keep from her face hitting the silver palm before the giant grey digits wrapped around her. One holding her own left leg, preventing the girl from balling up to protect her head and neck as she so desperately wanted to do.

"Finally," The mech snorted, shifting where he was half leaning on the big tree. He had to brace himself on it to get his legs back under himself from the half dive and stand up again.

"Squirrely lil' fagger ain't yea lass?" The bearded mech mused now that he was standing, arching an optic ridge at the, admittedly, rather pathetic whine as the ground dropped away for the girl, and she became notably limper as the mad rush of activity suddenly stopped. Only a slight movement, as the mech tilted his hand to peer atht the existed human, human-sparkling.

Well. He had thoroughly terrified and traumatized a youngling. He felt so  _wonderful_  now that he realized just how young the girl seemed to be now that he had her. He rumbled and walked back around the big tree. "Primus below... just calm down there fer a klik lass. An' tell me where that punt aft Crosshairs is."

There was a distant click of a safety and a whining charge of a semi-automatic, hand held. The new red and black mech looked up from the human, to stare into the barrel of the weapon right in front of his visor- flashing a surprised mix of greens and orange shades. Then he looked past the invasive, clear threat as his whole frame froze.

"Right here." Crosshairs snarled, his wrecker fangs fully bared as a deadly growl came out of him. The tall, leaner frame of the paratrooper had a few more scraps from tooth and claw of the cryber wolf hanfing half limp in Crosshairs' own other hand. The mech had a hold of the collar, twising it as he lifted Steeljaw up to half pull, half carry the creature with him. The forelegs of the beast waved weakly in the air, its mane a little more scruffy, tail tucked up and whining with a lolling glossa hung out of its malformed jaws as the cyber-wolf tried to gasp.

Crosshairs snarled another Cybertronian curse as he took a half step forward, pressing the barrel of his weapon into the visor with a click. "Hurt my sparkling any more an' I don't care who yea are old mech. I'll blow yea'r processor out o' yea'r head Leadfoot."


	9. Really? Really??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big, BIG thank you to Storm Dracona for the help with Leadfoot. Otherwise this might have taken a little (lot) longer to write. Also, thank you Storm for putting up with my giggling and plotting with me XD
> 
> Also, come check me out on tumblr. its not overly exiting but I do post story clips to chapters I'm working on. Including this one. http://omicrontheicequeen.tumblr.com

The raw tension and anger coming off Crosshairs was almost crackling in the air and in his field. Enough that the mecha wolf-dog stopped trying to get away and just half hang by its collar with tail tucked. The para-trooper had that tight grip on the collar, and some of the scruff, the mecha standing eerily still. Crosshairs extended arm did not waver, holding a perfect aim at the other mech with his semi-automatic hand held energy pistol. It was leveled with Leadfoot's left optic in fact, and the older mech, though he was very surprised, he did not doubt the green mech would flinch or miss.

From in Leadfoot's hands the small human gave a tiny sound that to his audios was somewhat pathetic, of fear and exhaustion. He saw how Crosshairs tightened his grip on his pistol, except the trigger finger that thankfully stayed still, steady.

The red and black mech slowly shifted, lifting his right hand and the panting human he held. "Easy lad... I didn't hurt her. Not intentionally, the bitty lass just panicked befer I could finish sayin' I'm a Wrecker. Take a look."

It took a klik or two before Crosshairs must have glanced down. Daring to look away, but Leadfoot stayed still, if this was a true decepticon he would have dared to lash out. But this was no Decepticon, this was a wrecker, one of the ones that came after his team with Roadbuster. Leadfoot had been fairly careful with the girl, and though his talons held the human youngling trapped against his palm they were not hurting her.

Finally, some of the raw tension eased in the younger mecha's frame. Not as still-ridged in anger-fear. The weapon lowered a little with a warning growl. If Crosshairs had standard armor, more panels would have flailed out but the over armor made it harder for him to bristle as normal. Not that he did not do a good attempt, he just did not have the same kibble. Crosshairs let go of the cyber-wolf's collar, dropping Steeljaw at last as he demanded, "Hand 'er over."

Leadfoot vented, but he was old enough to know to stay calm in this case, holding out his hand a little more and opened his digits. The femling human did not try for another bolt, more so as Amy seemed to have used up all her energy reserves. Amy just peeked up as she heard Stealjaw whining his protests and guilt, tensing in response to the cyber-wolf coming to hide behind Leadfoot's legs. Then familiar blunted claws were picking her up, the girl instantly let go of the new mech's forefinger and latched onto Crosshairs. Pulled out of the strange energy field only to be wrapped up into Crosshairs' own again.

The green and black striped mech stepped back, growling despite himself as he pressed Amy carefully against his front. Keeping her secured against him, an award but a real attempt to give reassurance as he got some space. Crosshairs dropped the weapon, sliding it into the holster inside his over armor rather than the one on his leg. Crosshairs gave a growling purr, rubbing his thumb against Amy's side and back in a reassuring attempt that seemed to work as he backed away a few more paces.

Crosshairs' lenses lifted off his optics as the taller mech checked over his apparent human from a safe distance. Once seeing this Leadfoot shifted and relaxed a bit, leaning on his cane after shifting it to his right side. Easing some of the pressure and pain from his damaged sounder, not so much from his hip though, "Better?" the older mech drawled, smiling slowly.

The green mech glared over, once satisfied the colors and scrapes on his charge was likely all from her fall off him. A few added scrapes that likely came from her run, but no clear or even indistinct claw marks. No damage, or bruising from a mecha's fingers on the girl. That was what convinced him that Leadfoot had not hurt Amy, though when she looked up with wide green eyes... Crosshairs lifted the girl, boosting her up to his neck and feeling her try and get where it was safe. She ended up against the right side of his neck, more huddling there alongside the muscle cables. So he gave a small reassuring rumble.

Crosshairs turned and narrowed his optics at Leadfoot, his own wrecker accent slipping thicker in the anger that was still simmering. "What the frag mech? Something get loose in that head o' yea'rs? She's a sparkling, even fer a human. An' sicking Steeljaw on me?"

"I thought yea were a 'Con mech, been tailed by a few since those fraggin' wankers attacked the base I was on." Leadfoot waved at Croshairs and then down at his improvised cane at the last part. The red and black mech shook his head, "How was I supposed ta know the lass was yea'rs o' all mecha? She just cam skittering out of the brush an' ran after yipping a name I wasn't expecting."

"How about getting' a line o' sight first before send Stealjaw after someone yea rusty spark?" Crosshairs did not quiet snap, as on a level he knew that he might have had a reaction alike to what just happened. Primus his first meeting with Amy was not all that good. Yet Amy was  _his_  now, he had claimed her as his charge, his sparkling. Weird organic or not she was his helpless charge. Crosshairs could not get to angry, as he understood... but he was.

Crosshairs growled, shifted his stance and then moved his weapon to the proper holster. He waved at the other mech with a free hand, giving a vent like sigh in leftover frustration and tension. "You said Decepticons are trailing yea?"

"Was," Leadfoot finally dared to walk closer, the cyber-wolf edging after a moment. He snorted softly, noticing how the human youngling edged back herself until green eyes peered out from the shade cast by Crosshair's head. The older Wrecker shook his own head, "Primus... I see yea there lass, didn't mean to scare the spark out o' yea," Leadfood said directly to the girl, despite another warning growl from the green mech. "Yea' said this slagger's name, an' Bumblebee's. Then took off."

It was a long moment or two, before the soft voice of Amy spoke up. Tire and likely unsure, if not scared anymore, "You said... not an Autobot... Crosshairs... Drift said to run from..."

She trailed off, swallowing and pressed against Crosshairs neck a little more. If the other two beings present were not Cybertronians, it was quiet possible they would have completely missed what was said. Though for Crosshairs at least he was used to listening for Amy's normal soft tones.

The older wrecker gave a soft rumble, but what bit of his field that reached the girl was...pride? "Aye, that's good. Yae did well to run from a 'Con lass. Was just a case of mistaken identity this time was all." Leaning on his cane Leadfoot shifted his stance to help ease his hip some.

That seemed to surprise the girl, but she was still unsure and inched back to into relatively safety-cover that was Crosshairs. As long as nothing knocked him over she felt safe there, almost as much as when in the armor pocket, but the taller mech was slowly becoming calmer. It reflected in his field to Amy at least, as little green eyes peeked out around a muscle cable. Crosshairs gave a rumble, glanced down before he looked up and waved at the cane, and the damage he could see, "What happed old mech Trip over a human?"

"Pah, no. Was tryin' to shield our own. 'Cons happened, hit the base hard an' fast. Somehow snuck past perimeter alarms," Leadfoot grumped, debating leaning on the large tree next to him and give hip and shoulder some temporary relief. Though something about how the attack happened even now still rankled the red and black Wrecker.

"Have any medical supplies?" Crosshairs asked, walking the last few paces over to the older mech. He leveled at a look at the cyberwolf, watching the malformed muzzle dip in guilt.

"For mechs? Nay, just what supplies for human crew we could grab. Couldn't get anywhere near med bay. Bolt hole's gunna be best bet if we're to have any for us." Leadfoots free hand went to affectionately tug to cyberwolfs ear in reassurance. Steeljaw had been doing as told after all, with the tug the dog like cyber-wolf lifted his head to get a reassuring pet and scratch with talons around the cropped ear.

"Yea know who made the local one?" Crosshairs asked, he seemed interested in the human supplies now, finally he smoothed his over armor and stepped up beside Leadfoot, not saying anything by being more solid then any tree. "Yea know how ta get to the local bolt hole?"

"Aye, was one of Hides. He did a good few, an' yea know how he is with bein prepared." The old gunner's paranoia would be what saved their afts this time. Leadfoot shook his head as he stood a moment, then his shoulder pressed against Crosshairs' side. Helping to keep his balance for a moment, "We're tryin' to make sure we ain't tailed but we were. Jolt back tracked ta lead 'em on a wild chase."

"Or fight?"

"Or fight 'em."

"How many bolt holes did that old mech make?" Crosshairs arched an optic ridge, switching topics back, but it was nice to hear of another mech that was alive (not that Crosshairs would admit it aloud right now). Really, all that talk about human allies and he's finding out more bolt holes were made... Well he would not trust the majority of this planet either. More so the annoying hunters.

...Crosshairs glanced to his left side, away from Leadfoot at the side where he felt Amy shifting to.

"I lost count, I know of 3." Leadfoot shrugged. "Seemed he saw ahead what most didn't." The old wrecker took a moment, digging in subspace before retrieving a small green thing and something else-which turned out to be a small apple and bottle of water.

"Here lil spark, ya look like could use this."

As expected there was no real movement from the back of Crosshairs' neck right away. Though the red mech could see Amy just peeking out after a minute. It was Crosshairs that reached out, sliding the tips of his talons back to be blunted looking as he grabbed the offerings, his other hand reached up. Wiggling blunted claws, "Its safe ta' come out."

Amy shifted around, gripping the muscle cables she was against, trying hard to use that to hide the shaking. A little confused, a lot worried of why she was not stopping doing that. But then...Amy had never run through a forest like that. Not even when trailing after Crosshairs. In fact she had not hurt anything like this since... since getting away and running from  _Him_... She shivered a little more and in turn felt Crosshairs' energy flaring and wrapping tightening around her unseen in response. The girl able to feel both reassurance and affection, and in turn Amy started to calm down some more and move to peer at the beckoning, large hand.

Leadfoot tilted his head, arching an optic ridge under his visor, but even as he stood up right again the older wrecker made no comment. Letting Crosshairs coax his charge down into open hands again to get the treat. Or what Leadfood guessed was a treat to humans. Or in this case a peace offering to the youngling as much as her protector, "Yea alone with the lass out here Crosshairs?"

"No. Not exactly. Three other Autobots are running around." Crosshairs said, tilting his head at the forest around them in general. He did not let Amy back up her riding/hiding spot just yet. Not until she was done eating and getting some energy back. Plus he did not want Amy eating on his neck cables. Not that the girl was a messy eater, very neat and considerate of the mechs in fact.

He could also get another good look at the girl sitting in his palm. Now that he was not ready to shot the other Wrecker if he had hurt his charge. Crosshairs finally looked up and the other, "How far is this bolt hole?"

"Not far, about a half local mile," Leadfoot pointed with a talon, letting go of Stealjaw's head and took a few steps, glancing back. The black and red mech did not need to, as Crosshairs vented a sigh like sound again but started after Leadfoot. Having some energon, even if it was compressed and some space to move around without worrying about being spotted or hunted was too tempting to pass up. Thus why he had stayed, well, semi close to Bumblebee and them.

"Alright let's find this place," Crosshairs said, almost keeping his normal stride, at least until catching up to Leadfoot before having to modify it to keep pace to the older mech's limb. He held his human sparkling against his front and slightly to the right side. Crosshairs glanced down, feeling Amy move a bit, resting and holding on to a seam in the armor with her own free hand, the apple long since gone but holding the water bottle. Amy was more sitting on Crosshairs' wrist, with her legs and feet in his palm, not protesting as blunted claws wrapped over her legs.

Crosshairs looked up, stopped just short of running into a tree branch at his optic level. The mech glared at the offending branch, and moved it out of his way, ignoring Leadfoot chuckling at him. "This bolt hole better bee a working base. I want a wash rack."

"There should be one lad," Leadfoot said, his voice too confident to give away that he was half guessing. "'Hide said this was a fully stocked on. Or what bolt holes like these count as fully stocked. How far away are the bots?"

"How far are the 'Cons?" Crosshairs asked back, successfully dodging offending branches before they could smack him. He already had earthy grit one and in his shoulders from being knocked over, and not even a day after that rinse off. "Close enough ta pick up on a ping?"

"Pick up on, likely don't have two credits worth o' sense to make use o' it with Jolt around." Leadfoot snorted, using the cover of his visor to glance at Amy. The visor was a calmer mix of blue-greens at the moment, though some purple shine edge in with the glare of sunlight on it as they walked. "Give 'em a ping, they might be closer ta the entrance."

"An' if the Decepticons are closer?" Crosshairs half asked but grinned as he was keeping his left hand free. Well able to use both hands to aim and hit any target.

"That's what yea'r fer lad, an' Stealjaw." Leadfoot snorted, glancing over and smirked despite himself as he used a tree to help him move as much as his improvised cane. The younger of the tree's creaked and shivered with the stress more than the older growth. It also explained the pattern Crosshairs had seen above on the mountain. "an' what your armor pocket is fer, with that lil' thing ta free yea'r hands."

The paratrooper snorted at that, though subtlety shifting his hand to rub the side of his thumb against the side Amy's leg. She grasped the blunted claw and return, still trying to keep the shaking to stop, though it was not quite as bad as when she was huddled against his neck. Primus he needed to get her down in the bolt hole as much as himself. At least there nothing too unexpected would happen. Even with Jolt around she should have some time to recover, and Crosshairs had enough supplies for a good long time for her in subspace.

Crosshairs huffed, shaking his head but took a moment to put together a quick message. This time, as there were Decepticons apparently nearby (possibly already being taken care of?), Crosshairs made a quick text burst. Using Cybertronian glyphs for ' _Allies found. Decepticons spotted. Safe found._ ' even if it when over Hound and Drift's heads, Bumblebee should still be smart enough to figure it out. There was no way in Unicron's pits he was going to risk Decepticons finding out about the bolt hole. As much as Crosshairs would like a fight, even he could see that constantly defending a base in the ground from Deceptions would draw attention. Nor would he want to loose the resources.

Amy yawned.

Crosshairs sent the ping out, closing his fingers around the girl's legs again before relaxing the hand. Primus he was far too attached for his own good.


	10. Hatchway

Quite honestly, Amy was happy to be left out of the adventure of trying to find the entrance of the bolt hole. She was still hurting, making a face off and on as her body tried to tense up. Reacting to the impact with the ground an hour and a half ago, a headache had started a bit ago yet after a careful scan Crosshairs did not seem to be worried. She was now sitting in a small sunny grassy spot with some chocolate bars to nibble on. It had seemed odd that Leadfoot suggested the things, but the shaking had slowly eased in intensity after Amy ate a few. It was not so bad right now, though the girl was still soar.

There was a soft huff of air to her right, and Amy looked up from her semi-nest of sitting on a throw blanket Crosshairs had grabbed on that last 'shopping raid.' It was not the nice and big blanket Bumblebee had given them, that thing was for at night. Amy looked over and then up at the giant mecha dog...wolf? Cyber-wolf was what Leadfoot and Crosshairs called the big creature. The girl was not all that sure about Steeljaw still, not after seeing him tackle her guardian down.

Right now though, the mechanical creature was calmly laying around her in a crescent shape with his legs stretched out. Steeljaw was as scary looking as he looked like a weird dog. That malformed or broken muscle have him a distant look like an American bull dog, not as flat really as the organic dog, but some of the canine fangs stuck out. One on the right side at an odd angle where there was a burn light scar-mark. Steeljaw had a lot of scars really, from the cropped ears, one a little longer and one looking torn, to around his middle behind Amy, and the half sized tail. He had a scruffy mane like 'fur' around his neck and shoulders. Not completely like an organic dog, but close, and adding to that bull dog like look to him.

When Crosshairs had finally given up and set Amy down in order to use both hands in his search, Leadfoot had directed Steeljaw to come to her. There had been a Cybertronian order of, " ** _Guard._** " That was repeated in English so Amy knew what was going on. That had been about a half an hour ago. Every few minutes as the two Wreckers yelled across their search area at each other, Steeljaw would shift and lean his head slowly over to Amy, at first sniffing then making a sad seeming sound when the girl dared to bat at the big snout with an empty water bottle when it got too close.

"No..." Amy said as the big snout came closer again. Holding her new water bottle from the pile to her left, she did not bop Steeljaw this time. Only leaning away as wide green eyes staring at rusty-golden optics.

Steeljaw paused and did not move closer, but rested his head down. Seemingly please at the progress he gotten so far.

"What the frag, it's over there now?" Leadfoot's voice boomed out in the semi distance, not for the first time Amy jumped a bit.

The girl glanced at Steeljaw who perked up his ears a bit. After a moment of listening to the Cybertronians causes the Cyberwolf only shifted to move over and cross his forelegs and settle his head on them. It let him get a little closer to Amy again without her noticing just yet. His lack of a true response reassured the girl to start nibbling on another piece of dark chocolate.

"How can there be more than  _one_  hatch?" Crosshairs finally snapped out from where he was. Almost lost to sight behind some trees the trooper turned from his spot to glare at the red and black mech, putting his hands on his hips for a moment. Then pointing to the new spot he had gotten a response from.

Now that Steeljaw was not focused on being on guard for just Leadfoot- and still feeling guilty for the attack on Crosshairs- Steeljaw could focused on the small sparkling sized being. Amy did not seem just like the other organics he was used to seeing, and she smelled as much like a Cybertronians as a human. She smelled like Crosshairs to Steeljaw in fact, and very faintly of some other mecha the Cyberwolf.

Cybertronian scents did not shake off as quick as one would expect, and Steeljaw was a good at his job of tracking.

"I donna know what yea're talking about lad," Leadfoot snorted from his spot, tapping the end of his cane on the ground with dull muffled thumps. "It can't fraggin' be there as I've gotten three different pings back- in different spots! How many hatches did that paranoid mech have?!"

Steeljaw was unfazed at the argument, and more concerned with the small form. He was not sure how, but working through what sense he had, the malformed cyber-wolf decided that Amy was a sparkling. An odd sparkling, but one none the less. Maybe something new? He knew it had been a long, long time since he last saw any kind of sparkling, and realized he missed them. Steeljaw was just smart enough to realize that he was part of the reason why the odd sparkling was hurting, and that he was supposed to protect her now. So he wanted to try and make things better with cuddles.

It was just a matter of getting closer-

"No yea stupid old codger it's not over here." Crosshairs finally snapped, able to take out some frustration out on the other just as stubborn Wrecker, "It's not changing location-  _What the frag?!"_

"Hah! Yea pinged it again didn't yea?!"

Amy blinked back and for the between the two mechs in the trees, calmed down now from the yelling as she realized this was just like Crosshairs picking fights with Bumblebee or Hound for his strange sense of...fun maybe? Something shifted to her right and she turned in time to see Steeljaw leaning forwards. Amy yipped as a large, smooth but thankfully dry glossa poked out a little. The girl scrambled a bit, but was too slow to advice the doggy like kiss from the cyberwolf. Steeljaw's remaining half tail wagged, thumping on the ground and against a smaller tree as he succeeded in the first stage of cuddles complete. He got bopped on the snout again with a full water bottle this time, but kept the end of his glossa poked out to try and look friendlier. Nosing at Amy in attempts to get her into cuddling.

Steeljaw could be nice! See? He liked sparklings, even soft weird ones!

"Crosshairs!" Amy finally yelped out in complaint, not as scared as earlier but unsure.

The argument between the mechs, half in that fax machine like language, paused. Both Wreckers glancing over but after seeing it was more of a puppy-love attack than anything else, they relaxed.

"He's just luvin' on yea lass." Leadfoot reassured after leaning around a tree, shaking his head but as he could also see the tensed moment in the other mech smooth out from where he stood he was not as worried.

"Just smack his muzzle." Crosshairs added, repeating what he had told Amy before looking for the hatch.

There was another bop, heard only in the lull of the argument and movement of the mechs. Steeljaw huffed but nuzzled the girl instead of pulling back.

"It's not working!" Amy complained, almost pinned but wiggled free a moment.

Crosshairs shrugged, he had put the fear of Primus into Steeljaw and knew the creature would not dare to really hurt the girl now. Even as a big paw nudged her back onto the blanket, "Give him a scratch then June-Bug. Looks like yea're stuck- Frag!" Croshairs had turned and just about tripped over a heap of mossy rocks jutting out of the earth. Stumbling and correcting his balance before Leadfoot could notice.

Amy squeaked, trying to bop the big creature once more. It must have worked somewhat as Steeljaw drew back enough to twist himself to half roll over. The false fur like mane flattening as the cyberwolf pulled a move eerily like an organic doge to be half on his back, curled up still around Amy. With his head upside down and mouth opening in that doggy like grin, it looked honestly silly with his bent fangs on one side. His hind legs half in the air now, one stretched out upwards as the tail wagged.

See? He was cute! He was big but he was nice! Right? Right? Wag-wag goes the tail.

As Amy was safe from harm, Crosshairs turned back walked to the last location he got for the bolt-hole hatchway. The mech sent a ping and grunted in annoyance at finding the location changed  _again_ , while behind him Amy was heard going, "Nooo?"

The girl leaned away from the sight of the alien dog-teeth. From her level it looked... well kind of scary, yet crosshairs was not trying to save her... that meant it was safe now? Confused the stiff girl waved her water bottle at Steeljaw while Leadfoot cursed, and then her guardian again. The argument starting up again as if the two Wreckers had not had a life and spark threating meeting not even two hours ago. Was that something that Autobots, or Wreckers...

Was that something that Cybertronians just...did?

Steeljaw was rolling back over, his big snout coming closer again as he sniffed and then paused. He looked up and around, ears pricked and scenting the air. The wagging tail didn't stop as he gave a light bark light sound, but as he dipped his head and poke the tip of his glossa out to sneak another kiss in to a yip-laugh. The actions were dismissed as Steeljaw continuing to try and win Amy over. Seeming to get some more headway as he acted like he was hurt in pulling back and swiped a forepaw over his muzzle at another bop. The next soft woofing sound was passed over, even as steeljaw looked up and back.

The new mech regarded the scene before him, not quite sure how he had been missed, granted his colors were different right now. Surely the two Wreckers had not just missed him? Even the human squeaked when she turned to see were the malformed wolf was looking. Bright sapphire blue optics regarding her with some confusion, but there was no hostility in his gaze. Bemusement maybe as the mech came closer, walking his normally pace, though his steps where muffled from the layers of moss and pine needles.

Amy stared back, leaning back against Steeljaw at this new stranger. The mech tilted his head to one side as he knelt down, reaching out to start scratching along Steeljaw's hips. His long slender fingers were clawed like Leadfoot, but something closer to Crosshairs. Blunted claw tips, but the digits seeming solid looking but flexible metal. He scratched up and down the cyberwolf's back, tugged on the moving tail in play before reaching up to rub the wolf behind the ears. "Good boy Steely, but what is this?"

The mech was about as tall as Bumblebee, just a little shorter then Crosshairs. But he was a little broader in the shoulders then the paratrooper as he did not have any over armor, or the leaner scout frame build. The car parts-kibble that was visible were a darker hunter green but the armor under was a mix of darker and lighter blues. A few hints of silver were here and there on him, more highlights on chest, shoulders, arms and in his face. The blatant Autobot emblem on his forearms made possible fear ease back into confusion for the girl.

Was this that other bot? Jolt?

Amy blinked and stared back at the face that was studying her back in return. It was oddly... owl like. This Autobot had an almost softer look to his face, the silver highlights helping with that despite not being as human-like as Crosshairs as he had a swept back crest and finnels framing his face. The bright blue optics were alike to Bumblebee's shade, only not as large, nor having that grumpy air to his features that Hound and Leadfoot had.

"Hello little one," Jolt said softly, tilting his head as he shifted, his free left hand reaching out. Not slow but he did not reach to pick the girl up right away, turning his hand palm up in an offering. "You're new."

He would have noticed a human before leaving, and as there was a new mech around to him, she must have come with him. Another Wrecker of all things by the sounds of it. The mech rolled his optics at the cursing back and forth.

"Are... you Jolt?" That was the name used right? Amy was unsure as she hesitantly touched on to the blunted talon tips, watching as impressed into her palm before sliding up her arm lightly. Making the limb turn to expose the scrapes and bruising from her fall, and a strange tingling-chargy feeling came from where Amy was in contact with the living metal.

"I am, what happened little one?" Jolt nodded, arching an optic ridge before there was that familiar buzzing feeling of a scan ran over the girl. He shifted closer a bit, glancing to the other two that still have not seen him. Primus he missed Ironhide and Jazz.

"I fell." Amy admitted, this was so different from her 'meeting' with Leadfoot, and even Crosshairs. Jolt felt... strange up close but also had that nice feeling to him that she got from Bumblebee. She glanced at Steeljaw, "Off Crosshairs when he jumped on him."

The girl watched as the mech's other shifted from rubbing the cyberwolf's ears to dropping down and messed with his jaws fearlessly. Steeljaw flattened his ears, knowing what it was for and Amy started to feel a little better about the creature. She squeaked as the large hand beside her moved as well, Amy gasped softly as she was picked up, and that tingle-charge feeling became more dominate.

Jolt sat back, bringing his other hand up, he would not do anything more to Steeljaw, who must have been dealt with already if he was trying to charm the human. He tilted his head again, his optics flickering to a lighter shade as he scanned again in his own way. Using his abilities on a very low charge to find where the damage was on the human. He had found out how to do this with NEST after he first arrived, learning about the humans' bio energy and how to restart a heart. Jolt hummed softly, bringing his right hand up under the to let her side on his palm. Giving her a stable place to sit as the Autobot brushed the side of a talon against her head and touched the short red hair, finding it cute. Jolt would not know that Amy's hair was longer than it used to be and seemed a better color, along with her skin tone, though to him she looked paler under a sun burn and thinner then he knew was good.

"You fell…you're going to be hurting a lot soon." Jolt hummed at least, glanced up first before looking down. He picked up the blanket on and the things on it, rolling it into a bundle that he could subspace. The Blue and green mech stood, shaking his head at something yelled about wackers. "Come on then little one. Let's go down into the base. Where I can get some energon and you some rest."

Steeljaw rose as well, his tail wagging behind him even as the cyberwolf shook himself. He looked up at the Autobot with another woofing sound, almost with a questioning edge.

"And you can get some energon too." Jolt nodded, grinning in his way. Not really like a human but it was enough of a shift in his face, and the tone of voice that Amy guessed he was smiling.

"But its hidden right?" Amy said, glancing around but Jolt's left hand was blocking her view of Crosshairs. Who gave an alarmed…chirp? Chatter sound?

"From idiots yes," Jolt nodded, and Leadfoot echoed the layered sound Crosshairs made, only there was an edge of insult to it somehow. "Apparently the signal diffuser worked well enough to keep these idiots away."

"Signal diffuser?" Leadfoot demanded, again sounding quite insulted but then also feeling rather...stupid. Of course Ironhide would use one of those; he would know humans were learning some of Cybertronian communications channels and signals. If you did not have the right code, the signal diffuser would send back a different location. "Arh!"

Leadfoot lifted both hands, one still holding his cane as the older mech than slapped his face.

Crosshairs growled, optics narrowed as he got over the shock first and stalked over. He flexed his hands and the blunted claws as he spotted the small form in the Autobot's hands, "What do yea think yea're doin' wit my-?"

"Taking her down where it's safe." Jolt snorted and arched an optic ridge, he was not impressed in the slightest at the Wrecker. Jolt was calm as there was a sharp crackling sound that came from his shoulders and there was a spark that came off one of the silver markings.

Crosshairs stopped suddenly at that, coming up short, his hands grasping at the air in frustration. The two glared at one another over the confused human. Amy looked back and forth between the mech holding her and her guardian, puzzled at the reactions. More so at Crosshairs hesitating, realizing she never saw him hesitate to come pick her up or away from another mech.

"Don't just stand there Wreckers," Jolt said walking closer, freeing a hand and nudging Crosshairs on the arm before pointing at a spot. The blue and green mech sent a ping with the right code, as Jolt had worked long enough with Ironhide to know what it was. "Let's go Leadfoot."

Steeljaw wagged his tail, following Jolt and the girl he was told to guard up to the same rock formation Crosshairs tripped over. It spilt and rose, the rocks attached to two thick metal plates that looked to be as thick as Amy was tall. The opening was big enough for two of the mechs, or just Hound on his own, to walk through at a time. Amy squeaked at seeing the dark hole, leaning back against Jolt's palm as the Autobot came up to it and then walked down a sloping path that curved to the left as it descended. To give headroom form someone taller then Hound, yet there were no lights that were turned on that the girl could see.

Jolt purred down at Amy, gently giving her a pet on the back and ignoring what Crosshiars was spluttering after him, Leadfoot taking up the rear. "It's okay, it won't be dark long. See?" Jolt said as he turned on the headlights from his kibble first. As the other two also turned on lights the hatchway was starting to close, but the tunnel led down to a wider open space and a raised lift platform.

Semi raised, it was actually the outer frame of the lift that was raised out of the stone floor. The lift platform itself was a step down for the mechs. Amy grasped Jolt's fingers, looking around and talking in the oddly smooth walls. She could not turn as easily, feeling stiff still but looked for Crosshairs as he hopped onto the lift after Jolt. Her guardian growling still and glared, looking about to try and take her…but why did he hesitate?

"The lil' lass took a tumble, or two, think yea can help her Jolt?" Leadfoot asked, startling Amy as she tried to look at him.

"Yes," Jolt tilted his head, keeping his purr aimed at the girl, feeling with his ability again to find the damaged areas of muscle. "She hasn't stiffened up too bad. Fell off you wrecker?"

"She didn't fall, was knocked off." Crosshairs huffed, the mech shifting to one side on the lift to make room for all three of them as the platform shifted. The para trooper shot a glare at Leadfoot as the older wrecker put a hand on his shoulder, " _What-?!"_

Crosshairs looked back in time to see Jolt freeing his left hand and sparking visible energy over his fingers in light like trails. Before the green Wrecker could act or react, Jolt was already resting his own blunted talons on Amy's side and arm. The girl unable to lean back anymore as she stared with wide eyes-

There was no cry of pain, no seizing or jerking from the girl. Amy was held secured in Jolt's right hand, so she could not wiggle away. Yet she stared in fascinated wonder as the little lightly like trails of energy crawled from living metal to her skin. Sinking in with a buzzing sensation that was more vibration then shock to her awareness. The girl had tensed reflexively, but as Jolt ran the side of his claw up Amy's own arm, around a small shoulder and back down her side that hurt worst.

The girl relaxed.

The stiffening muscles going soft, as if she had not been hurt in the first place as even the pain faded.

"There," Jolt grinned at Amy, and smirked at Crosshairs as he let the small charge fade and he spoke to the girl, "Does that feel better little one?"

"Yeah," Amy sounded surprised, patting the digit over her lap holding her. She then realized her red hair was standing up and reached up. Squeaking as Jolt glanced down and lightly tapped her head, taking the static charge off the girl. Amy turned and looked up at Crosshairs, who seemed not just flabbergasted but...annoyed? Upset in a way? He was looking over her head now, glaring at blue optics.

"Fer Primus' sake." Leadfoot growled, thumping his cane on the moving lift, drawing Amy's attention to realizing someone must have triggered it (or did it know to move on its own?), "Deal wit yea'r slag later. Jolt, yea help the lass now hand her back over befir Crosshairs tackles yea off the lift."

Amy squeaked as she was shifted, but towards Jolt's front. She looked up.

The Autobot was looking back down at her, meeting the green gaze directly, "Do you want to go back to that mech little one?"

Amy nodded, unsure about what seemed to be going on that she was missing. Did Crosshairs know this mech? When nothing happened after a moment she spoke up, "Yes please."

That was what it took, the holding claws opening partly as she was moved again. Amy pulled her legs up and turned as Crosshairs was reaching out cautiously. It was so strange but the girl was happy to jump ship so to say, wrapping her arms around more familiar talons and then being wrapped in the gunner's field again. Leaving that almost charged sensation of being by Jolt, while below Steeljaw edged closer to Crosshairs.

"Yea alright bug?" Crosshairs asked smoothing the side of his own finger down Amy's back.

"It doesn't hurt." Amy chirped, smiling up at the face she knew best of those around her.

"It doesn't mean you're still not injured little one," Jolt pointed out as he shifted into a hip shot, watching as Crosshairs held the girl closer and shifted as far back as the descending lift would let him move away. Jolt waved at the two, more so at Amy as she looked back. "You may not feel the pain as much for a little while, but you shouldn't go running around. I only numbed the pain for a while. Maybe for the night, I can do that again when it starts to hurt again."

Amy considered this, but as it made sense to her the girl nodded. "Okay... Thank you Jolt."

Quite honestly, the girl just wanted some time to sit with, or hide with Crosshairs... or under his over armor.

"...!" Amy could not help the squeak that came out as Crosshairs started to boost her up. Not to his neck and the collar ridge, but there was a shifting of the mech's chest plates just above the girl. A small open just big enough for her to scoot up into the armor pocket that opened. Amy remembered it from the day before, the warmth of the mech's frame and field, but also that presence. Even if she did not know that it was Crosshairs' spark.

Well, she had wanted to hide with Crosshairs. Amy tucked up her legs as she entered the armor pocket proper, leaning gratefully against the back 'wall.' As armor and pocket sealed mostly shut, still letting air move, Crosshair's field closed in around his passenger.

Protective-affection-possessiveness reflected to Amy as much as showing outside.

Crosshairs narrowed his optics at the blue mech in front of him as he crossed his arms. Almost as he were daring Jolt to try something, though only now after he had Amy safely hidden in his frame. No longer in easy grabbing-stealing range for anyone but him.

" ** _Really? You of all mecha with a human, and a youngling at that._** " Jolt asked in Cybertronian as he put one hand on a hip and waved at the trooper with the other, " ** _I remember you saying you hated all organics when you first showed up on this world._** "

" ** _I remember that too,_** " Leadfoot put in, chirping at Steeljaw to come back to him and stop staring at Crosshairs. " ** _An' Topspin throwing a wrech at yea. Clearly something changed._** "

" ** _No, I still don't like the majority of these humans,_** " Crosshairs growled out, but kept to Cybertronian for now as well. Even as he was extremely aware of the small wait in his armor pocket, keeping his arms crossed over that spot, his look turning to a darker glare at Jolt as the lift kept going down. The only light coming from headlights, reflecting on the crystalline and smooth walls of the tunnel to make interesting patterns, " ** _I'll be happy ta take a ship an' leave this place behind. More so after these hunts, but I'm not so fraggin' blind to blame a sparkling, even a human sparkling for what other idiots do. Nor take it out on the child, like yea're thinking. So stuff the mighty attitude Jolt._** "

" ** _Mighty my aft, you've been hostile to the humans that were loyal before the attacks._** " Jolt growled, he did not trust the new wrecker with the girl and it showed. " ** _If you think I'm not going to worry you're mistaken._** "

" ** _Yea know Ironhide wanted to wipe out most of the humans after doing some research an' finding out what those wankers were doin' to the AllSpark spawned sparkling._** " Leadfoot suddenly spoke up, making the two younger mechs turn and face him with some surprised as he leaned on the cane. Looking at his own warn talons on his free hand. " ** _Just about wiped out a city on his own if he had been closer to it. An' the Prime was there. He wasn't the only one. Sideswipe, Raodbuster, Topspin, Mirage, Trailbreaker, even myself. Why did yea think Prime stopped telling mechs about what happened at that dam to new mechs?_** "

Jolt hesitated, he knew humans had the AllSpark but they were able to do things with it?

" ** _Crosshairs may have not liked humans, or still not like 'em. Primus I don't like most o' them still lad. Leave him alone, both o' yea suck up yea're own slag and deal with the present._** " Leadfoot growled before reaching down and rubbing StealJaw's head, giving the top of his malformed muzzle a scratch with the end of the mech's talons. " ** _'An let the lass rest befir yea start bitching again. Or let me get some energon._** "


	11. Exploring Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big thank you to Kitra for helping me with a spot I was stuck at! Also I'm going to go back through and edit/add some new bits to past chapters. This chapter turned out far longer than I expected...

 

 

"...flash crystal-line mining?" Crosshairs finally said after a full minute of silence on the lift. The green trooper's general mood still not the best, but was better with his charge safely hidden in the armor pocket.

"Aye, it is lad. Got the second coating looks like." Leadfoot agreed looking around as their lights reflected off the walls of the lift. "It's the fastest way ta' cut through softer rocks on this world." It really was, as red and black wrecker had used the same thing to help build another bolt hole. The flash crystal-line minding basically forced rapid growth in a type of crystal, letting it eat up the rock up as it was fueled by energon. Leaving behind a two layers of residue, with the inner material being relatively fragile that could be easily broken down to a sand or dust that can be swept up. While leaving a somewhat harder, outer shell, until it could be reinforced by a second type energon-fueled growth crystal.

It was quiet effective on organic worlds really. Or, well any world with a lot of rocks on and in it. It did not work quiet as well with looser sediment layers though.

"Should be medical supplies below for you Leadfoot," Jolt said, offering reassurance as he saw the older mech wincing. The Autobot took the step closer, not reaching out but stood not unlike Crosshairs had before. Jolt was standing close enough that the older wrecker could lean on Jolt if he felt like he needed to, but not forcing it.

"What did yea do with the bodies?" Leadfoot asked, still studding the walls around them with a critical optic. Shifting to adjusted leaning on his cane, and Jolt's back, waving upwards with his free hand.

"Bodies…ah, the Decepticons, I covered them," Jot chuckled as he glanced up and then back down to meet Crosshairs' optics, "I'll go back up to bring them down and strip for parts if needed. And keep the humans from finding them, and us."

" ** _Just keep the corpses away from my sparkling. Last thing she needs._** " Crosshairs huffed, speaking in Cybertronian, very aware of the small form still hiding inside his frame in the armor pocket.

" ** _I'll wait until the little one is in recharge._** " Jolt snorted, he was not about to expose a youth, even a human to too much if he could help it. " ** _Just keep a scanner on her head from the fall._** "

" ** _I know that_** ," Crosshairs snapped, and almost as if in response the lift stuttered as the brakes loosened and dropped. All three mechs flung out arms as the lift shuttered, trying to descend on the gravity lift as it jerked from the locks. " ** _What the frag?!_** "

Leadfoot got his feet, reaching out to the control dais, his hand covering it and pulsing the command to stop the lift. There was a long pause, the three looked around, confused and startled. Jolt was crouched a bit and had a hand on the wall, while Crosshairs had dropped to kneel down and grip the lift with one hand and the other over his chest. Steeljaw had just been wise and flopped over onto his side on the floor. "Fraggin' slag Ironhide..."

The older wrecker limped to one of the four breaks, grunting as he slowly knelt and set his can aside. Using the headlights on his chest to get a better look.

Crosshairs shook his head, part of his attention turning inward, "It's okay," He said in a low voice, being reassuring to Amy in the armor pocket. The mech could feel movement, giving a reflexive protective rumble as the girl right herself, considered before slumping back down. Amy gave a tiny, though currently unheard huff that was a version of Crosshairs' own. Amy looked around the armor pocket, it was dim enough... She scooted to the back and settled there, listening to Crosshair's voice as he asked what happened.

"Nothing that can't be fixed, with some time," Leadfoot vented a sigh like motion. Handy expression sighs were. "Looks like a one of the brakes are loose, the others dropped in response. Check the ones by yea," The red and black mech waved at the other two as he moved to the next lock near him.

Crosshairs shifted, using one hand to grasp the edge of his over armor and flicked it out of the way as he settled on his knees. Using the blunted talons to find the cover over the lift's break there, shifting again to shine his light onto it. It had been a little while since he had to do a lot of repair work, only a few hundred years since he fixed the old shuttle that brought him to this world (Crosshairs wished the thing could have survived reentry now). The habits though never left, as Crosshairs tapped a part of the mechanics inside, feeling how the part moved slightly under the claw. "Hmm..."

The mech gave a small rumble under his breath so to say, reassuring to his passenger as he cleaned out the break, "Lot o' rock dust in this…what did Ironhide do? Set up an' run this lift when the tunnel was being made?"

There was a long silence as all three mechs paused.

"Likely..." Jolt vented a sigh, lifting a hand to run over his helm staring at the brake he was kneeling by. "...yeah, Ironhide wasn't the best for some conduction."

"He was okay at basic construction, an' weapons," Leadfoot snorted, cleaning out the break he was beside as well, settled down himself with the improvised cane beside him. The red mech's motions where sure and quick, in better practice then the other two by far, "He wasn't an engineer, Primus I bet Crosshairs knows more an' that fragger is a weapon's smith."

Jolt glanced up, peering over at Crosshairs' back, surprised to hear that tidbit of information.  _That_  mech was a smith?

...that would explain why Hound of all mechs tolerated Crosshairs so much.

Crosshairs snorted, reaching into the casing of the brake, going by feel more then sight as he found the problem. Pulling his hands back he dug into subspace, pulling out a small pack of tools and find what was basically a screwdriver, only something that was for his scale, "Leadfoot, yea wouldn't happen ta have a grease gun? What I have won't work for this scrap."

Leadfoot glanced over, noting Steeljaw was laying down on the other side of the lift from them as jolt was closing up the brake he was by. "The junk got in?" He asked sitting up, reaching down to lift a panel of armor on his front and pull out the requested tool. Or rather two parts that he twisted together to make the tool. The Wrecker tossed the tool over to the younger one once Crosshairs looked up.

Crosshairs caught it, by the handle on reflex as if catching a firearm. He looked the device over, but found it a standard make so other than making sure the canister was tightened. The green mech brushed off some bits of ruck and crystal dust before carefully working the grease into the mechanics of the brake. He was aware of Leadfoot moving to check on Jolt's brake, using a blunted talon to help push the grease in the opening the outside all around the piston.

"Alright let's do this slag," Crosshairs said, picking up the screw driver he had set a side, moving to brace himself as he started to wedge the end in the tool between the wall of the tunel and the piston in the brake. Making sure he would have the leverage, Crosshairs shoved down and forward. Inside of his armor pocket, Amy adjusted to the new angle and looked around the dim glow as Crosshairs grunted. He gave a more neutral sounding growl as he worked the piston loose of its jammed position. The mech got it loose enough to wedge in the claws of his other hand.

"Need a hand lad?" Leadfoot asked looking over.

"I have it old mech," Crosshairs huffed as he lifted up on his knees and back, pulling the piston back and into place. "There." He smirked, reaching into the mechanism to kept the pison in place as the trooper picked up the grease gun again. When he was finished the mech held it out as Leadfoot started to reach for it to use where Jolt was. "I think this will work until we're down, an' yea can look at it with the grave lift off."

"Will have ta clean all of them out." Leadfoot said, snorting as he made a mental note to smack Ironhide nest time he saw the mech.

Jolt had slipped backwards, letting the two Wreckers work. The blue mech arching an optic ridge at Steeljaw, and when the cyberwolf wagged his tail, Jolt reached over and down to offer a scratch. The Autobot shook his head, but waited calmly for the lift's locks to be fixed. When the lift started to move again, Jolt waited a moment then stepped over to help Leadfoot up all the way to his feet again, and then grabbed the cane.

"I'm ready for this slag to be done," Crosshairs grumbled, watching the tunnel wall seemingly move. A rather impressive illusion in the dim lights even to a Cybertornian's optics, "we're almost a mile deep now…should still be warm enough for Amy, yeah?"

"Aye, it should," Leadfoot considered before waving a hand downwards as he leaned on Jolt's back. "between the equipment, yea're own frame- and hopefully some better cloths fer her. But at minimum it'll be about... twenty five ta thirty?"

The red and black mech paused to consider before nodded, his metallic beard clicking softly with the motion. "Maybe keep the lil' lass in the pocket fer a bit," as if Leadfoot was expectation Crosshairs not to, he resisted the urge to snort at that. "An' well turn on some of the heaters around where yea pick she should be."

"Are the tunnels only a mile deep?" Jolt asked, looking up at the tunnel walls, catching a glimpse of lines in the crystal. Where the lines connecting to just the lift hatchway? Or had Ironhide listen to Ratchet about sensors... well he must have or the hatch system would not have worked as well as it had for keeping these two out before.

"They normally are, unless there's a second level under it," Leadfoot said, pretending not to notice Crosshairs lifting a hand over his armor pocket again. Really there was nothing wrong with him having a charge, even if the trooper had said a bunch of slag about humans since he arrived. At least as far as he was concerned, Leadfoot had seen all sorts take care of younglings. "Don't think this is a true base lay out, but should be plenty of supplies down 'ere."

Crosshairs rumbled, lifting a hand out to briefly let his claws run over the tunnel wall, the crystal lining barely scraping it. He pulled his hand back, glancing over the claws again and once more making a note to take care of himself. The mech huffed and finally glanced at the other two as they started to enter the entry area to the tunnels. Crosshairs was not the only one to reflexively extend his scanners in the semi-dark, or peer over the edge.

The passage started to open up, spaces between the indentation lines for the brakes dipping away and giving the first peeks into a dome like space. Large enough that a few more mechs other than the current three could still have standing room. Crosshairs estimated Hound could even roll once, but not twice. There was an eerily familiar air to the pace, and it took Crosshairs a moment recognize what it was that was strange and not. The doom had thick supports curving upwards and ridge like striations between them. There was a few glyphs painted or carved into the walls, only one Crosshairs could read from the lift and it was so cheesy and seemed more like something Optimus Prime would write rather than Ironhide.

...and Crosshairs couldn't help feeling a tiny bit better seeing, ' _Now Hope'_  writing in a large glyph as the first thing he saw coming in. At least what he could read from the lift

Crosshairs heard Leadfoot give an amused snort to the side as he spotted the same thing. It was enough to start and draw Jolt's attention, only the mech's could not focused for more than a moment before one of the brakes stuttered.

" ** _For Primus' sake!"_**  Three voices grumped out in unison as the rest of the brakes all triggered on the last indentation. Crosshairs was in a better position with bent knees and his over armor working like a counter balance to keep him upright. While Jolt had grabbed tighter to Leadfoot and shot out his other hand to grasp one of the brake depressions with his other hand to keep them upright as well.

"That was not the brake I worked on!" Crosshairs growled out flexing his claws.

"This slagging scrape pile is getting fixed," the red and black wrecker growled himself checking on Stealjaw. Leadfoot relieved to see the cyberwolf was still on the lift, with his legs sprawled out and looking very confused but still there.

"Maybe we can lighten the load on the lift." Jolt offered after making sure the older mech was up right, but even he seemed a little exasperated at this delay just on the edge of. He glanced down at the distance to the floor, judging it was in jumping range but also not a comfortable one.

"Go ahead and jump off if yea can," Crosshairs dared to flash his fangs, only a split moment of a sneer, not wanting to risk his person getting zapped (or Amy inside for that matter).

"It's not a bad idea lad," Leadfoot aloud, a little more considering compared as he got his pedes stable back under him. Pulling out the grease gun again and tossed it at Crosshairs The Wrecker glanced at his cyberwolf and the middle of the lift that showed some of the glow of the beam from. "Them gravity lifts are safe enough ta' jump in wit' or wit'out the lift disk. Think yea can take Steel' down?"

Ignoring Crosshairs' look and comment before Jolt couched and peered over the edge again, able to make it through, "I can make it, of Steeljaw won't wiggle about."

"He's been down a lift before, but hold his paws an' Steeljaw will be still." Leadfoot gave a whistle-chirp for attention, clicked his talons to get the malformed cyberwolf to go over to Jolt, " ** _Be good._** "

Steeljaw gave a soft woof like sound, padding to the blue mech. His tail stump wagged as he lifted to flop forelegs over Jolt's belt knee. Enjoying the scratching of mecha talons on his neck.

" ** _Yes, be a good wolf Steeljaw, and I'll get you down._** " Jolt said in cybertronian as well, wanting to be very clear, but he had once carried the beast over a river since the attack.

Steeljaw made a chuffing like sound as he was picked up. Waving a paw at his mas before the cyber wolf had to pay attention; Jolt pulled the dog-like beast over his shoulders. Adjusting the wait, Jolt took the half step over to the edge, but paused at hearing a snort. The blue mech glanced over at crosshairs while grabbing a fore and hind paw.

"You can take him down if you want Wrecker." Jolt offered with a slow smile.

"Like yea'd know what the slag ta' do." Crosshairs snorted as he took the supplies, and as he noticed the smirk from the Autobot, he scowled. "Go get fragged."

"Really?" Jolt smirked at crosshairs, for a moment willing to play along- maybe Leadfoot's bad humor could be to blame, rubbing off on the electric mech a little. "I wouldn't have thought you were the type to want that with someone riding in your armor pocket."

It took two seconds for the innuendo to sink in.

It took three second for Leadfoot to burst out Laughing.

It took just under second before Crosshairs to last out, his cleft pede connecting with Jolt's side.

"Serves yea' both right," The older mech said with a chuckle after checking to make sure Jolt had used his grapple to get himself, and Steeljaw, into light of the grav-lift. With his pet safe, Leadfoot just decided to be amused at what happened, shaking his head at the other wrecker growling at the ledge when Jolt's voice laughed as he rode the beam down to the floor of the chamber. "Yea' got this lad?"

Crosshairs flexed his hands, and with effort kept himself from gripping his chest over his armor pocket and passenger. Instead he narrowed his optics at Leadfoot while unhocking the font clasps of his over armor to have better range of movement, and to attach the tools to the inside carefully. "What do yea' think yea old rusted cranker?"

Leadfoot smacked Crosshairs with the improvise cane, loud enough to clang, but on the outer shell of the over armor. "Stuff yea're own slag, an' help me down."

For a moment, Crosshairs was really tempted to kick, or push the other wrecker off the lift as well. His mood starting to sour again like when he found his human huddled in the red and black mech's hands... Part of his attention turning inward in a reflex he was not sure where it came from, but after that moment pulsed a reassuring feeling at the small form that leaned on one wall of the armor pocket. The mech resisted the urge to vent as he glared at the offending cane, then offered a hand to clasp forearms with Leadfoot. It was not too hard to brace himself on one of the brakes themselves and swing Leadfoot off the lift and into the beam of the grav-lift.

Crosshairs did smirk at hearing the protests on the way down as he turned his back to that edge. The green and black mech made a face now that he was alone, before stepping to the stuck brake. It was not too hard to repeat what he had done before, only it took some more time to work leverage on the stuck piston. Crosshairs shifted to brace one pede up on the wall, feeling it catch on a ridge in the crystalline coating, and then he shoved.

The piston slowly started to move, bit by tiny bit as the grease worked into the innards of the brake system. Crosshairs took a long moment to just carefully work the brake loose again. He did not expect it when it suddenly released with an audible clang. A split second later he could hear the other brakes giving in and then gravity set in.

"Oh sag, I'm gonna kill 'Hide," he snarled as he let go of the brake and got his feet back under him while fancing the closest exit on the lift. One hand shooting out to stabilize him by grasping the brake rigging as he quickly stepped over to it. In the few moments he hand, Crosshairs checked the distance to the ground again. His other hand briefly going up to the armor pocket, she would be fine, if he jumped that much he knew.

The green mech jumped well before the lift reached enough velocity to be unsafe to jump from. The mech's over armor spreading out to help slow and control the fall. He landed and tucked into a roll with the practiced grace of someone who had done this a thousand times. When Croshairs finally came to a stop he had one hand firmly over the armor pocket, growling at the lift that crashed into the ground and its housing.

It was not broken completely, but most definitely damaged enough that it would get some repairs before it worked smoothly again.

"What the fraggin' pit mech?!" Leadfoot demanded as his cyberwolf trotted ahead and over to Crosshairs. Steeljaw giving a little confused and worried whine, where was the sparkling?

"She's just fine," Crosshairs snapped back, knowing what the older Wrecker was about to yell about. "I'm a paratrooper old mech. You think my frame can't protect a sparkling from any sort of drop in that pocket?"

Jolt hesitated from saying anything looking from the lift to the green and black mech. He then really stared at the mech as Crosshairs lowered the hand off his chest in a calmer way after a pause. The younger wrecker reached out as his claws retracted, scrubbing the wolf's head and ears with a soft word that Amy was just fine. Jolt chirped at Leadfoot, tilting his head at the lift.

Leadfoot growled and made a face, he knew Crosshairs was an aft, but outright endangering his charge? Not all that likely. He was tempted to reach out and smack the younger mech, but Crosshairs was well out of reach. Primus he still wanted to smack the mech as Crosshairs grinned wide back at him, baring fangs. The other wrecker was a godo half a chamber away, well out of smacking range. There was no way in hell that Leadfoot was going to throw one of his tools at Crosshairs, or his saporting cane.

And crosshairs knew it.

The trooper shook himself, looking around in this main chamber. Noticing to his far left was a horizontally tunnel, only with a lowered celling. The mech walked over and rested a hand on the wall, noting that he might have to duck to back it through. Anyone bigger than average sized mech would have to get down and/or crawl through the first part of the tunnel for those really big mechs. Or just transform to roll through.

Crosshairs glanced to the side, noticing the painted glyps Ironhide had wrote, able to fully read what he glimped before on the lift. It was far from something Optimus Prime level of reassuring, but siting it seemed to the mech.

_Now hope fraggers, you're safe. Get some recharge and energon._

The group split up soon enough Crosshairs first to stoop and walk through to the rest of the bolt hole. Finding once it was past that first lowered part he had plenty of head room. If it followed the basic lay out, this main tunnel would expand out for almost a mile, with two or three four way junctions of the same sized tunnels. Then smaller tunnels between them and off those to open into store rooms, a medical area, as well as room like spaces. How many of those were completely Crosshairs could not quiet tell as he walked.

Judging from the look of this base, the eerily familiar feel of home with how there were curved rib like supports like those back on Cybertron. Or it its lower levels. Only a few of the lights overhead turned on, sensing movement, maybe every two or three. Just enough to see by and find the generator in one of the first side chambers. Making a face, Crosshairs sent a ping to Jolt, the Autobot might need to jump something. Crosshairs grabbed one of the smaller packs of medical supplies in another chamber, continuing deeper.

Thankfully Leadfoot seemed done with the grumpy mech for now, and Jolt was not going after him either. Not that Crosshair could get out of the base any other way. As it turned out, there was also air scrubbers down here that the wrecker found and turned on. Though the air was still good so far, but Crosshairs was surpized at finding several crates that Ironhide filled with things he thought any posable human companion might need. It made him pause and consider, realizing that dispite the prep for humans turning on them... Ironhide had also expected organic allies that needed safety down here too.

That was... that was not something Crosshairs had expected. He glanced down at feeling movement in his armor pocket, walking down to his right on the first junkion tunnel. Looking over a few painted glyphs that told of rooms and walked that way without thinking.

"Primus... I'm getting soft. You awake in there bug?" Crosshair asked, lifting a hand to tap his armor for a moment. He could not hear anything until the mech cracked open his chest plates. Getting a squeak at cooler air. That made him smile.

Crosshairs gave a yawn like motion suddenly, resetting his jaw and the mandible joints. He had been clenching tighter then he should. Now that he was alone for the most part, the mech wanted a chance at true rest. He lifted both hands up to his chest, fingers brushing over the spot his armor pocket was under. The blue-green optics glowed brighter in the semi dark as the mech glanced up to spot a side chamber off this tunnel branch.

The mech looked around this room he had picked out, it should be far enough but not so far, pausing to listen. Making sure no one had followed him, and once sure did he set about making it his. The mecha added a few things that he had out of from subspace for his charge to use, though put it to one side and away from the berth and on the ground. Crosshairs came back to sit on that, stretching out his legs before he opened the armor pocket. "Yea can come out June-Bug, it's just us right now."

He could feel the girl shift inside the pocket. Stirring at his voice once more, yet Amy stayed put where it was warm, dark and feeling safe. The girl did not seem ready to move just yet, and that was fine with Crosshairs. The mech turned to slowly relax on the ground level berth with his legs stretched out and a hand on his front. He lightly tapped his armor with a blunted claw, trying to coax his charge out. The sound did not last too long just enough to let Amy know where to go.

Crosshairs dimmed his optics, turning his attention inward. A low purring started with every movement from inside the armor pocket. Not that Amy was moving too much, as she was still braced against the movements before. She was happy to settle as well, at least for a bit. The whole time listening to the purring as Amy was soon napping for a little while, exhausted from the extra-long day.

When Amy stirred again, she made a face as she wanted to stay, but thirst and other bodily needs made themselves known. The girl inched out of the armor pocket, drawn to the faint light outside. It was not bright at all, but just enough for the girl to reach out and grasp the end of a blunted claw as it moved closer. Having a little help in being pulled the last bit out from under green plating was… really needed. The girl blinked a bit taking in what she could in the faint light and noticing the natural bio lights on crosshairs, who was no longer repressing them like he was on the surface. Then all at once Amy realized she was in a room, or the walls curved a little and had that fain crystalline sheen, but a room none the less. Only it was a room to Crosshairs' size scale, the berth he was lounging on a good ten feet up, and a few shapes in the semi dark that looked like a desk and a chair on the other side of the room.

"Hey lil' bug..." Crosshairs rumbled wrapping his hand behind the girl's back, watching the girl's face as she took in everything. The mech kept his touch lighter than normal at noting a small flinch, "How yea holdin' up?"

Amy made a face again, this time at a slight pull in her back and side, not nearly the same level of hurt as before what Jolt did to her. The girl scooted a bit back to lean into the large digits behind her. "Okay...but I have to go... and I want... um, I need some water please?"

"Thought yea might need it, ta do both." Crosshairs huffed softly, not his annoyed sound though as the mech sat up. Sifting to hold the girl in one hand as he stood back up, the green and black mech paced over to the small thing he had made for Amy to take care of her business while they were underground in the bolt hole.

Crosshairs had a little foresight-

"It's really dark..." Amy's nervous voice said and Crosshair paused midway of putting her down, the mech's own frame blocking out most of the dim light from the tunnel.

Now it was the mech's turn to make a face, turning on his headlights from his car form again. "Right, humans can't see in the dark. Sorry bug." Crosshairs added as he watched Amy flinch in his hand, covering her eyes from the glare of sudden light. "The main lights in the tunnels should be turning on in in a few hours. Leadfoot's working on them, but I can get the lamp working."

He lowered the girl down to just beside the device. It was boxy like a port-a-potty, and in the inside a little though made of metal not plastic. Although it had a few... well alien like things on the back and to the left side. Almost like a generator, not too big to a human but tiny for the mechs. With one hand Crosshairs used an edge of his blunted talon to open the door and draw Amy's attention to a switch, "Once yea're done, push that, but stay away from the opening. It'll burn what's in there when yea're... finished."

With his other hand, he pulled out a device out of his left thigh holster. A small thing that had been slid down one side of the holster, Crosshairs flipped it up, clicked it and the device, a chip in his hand started to glow with a white-ish color.

"What is that?" Amy asked as the glowing thing was lowered down to her level, the round device could not be looked at directly. It seemed to have a silver-metal base, round and a relatively small dome of glass or crystal that reflected the light. The thing looked like a coin in Crosshairs hand, though was a good foot and a half wide.

"A... its nothing for yea to worry about right now bug, take care of yea'r business. Just don't touch the chip, it gets hot." Crosshairs said standing back up, Amy was smart enough to listen to his warning. He really did not want to get into Cybertronian physiology and the equivalent of pressure points that were heat effected. More so when the child was already sleepy and distracted.

Crosshairs brushed off his over armor, glanced up at the main light. That would not turn on automatically unless someone pinged it with a basic code to turn on. He turned to walk over to the desk, having only glanced at it before taking the chance to rest and calm down. Now he sat and pulled over the light, finding it a basic reflecting crystal and glass tube attached to the base. It felt like to Crosshairs' claws that there was human made metal covering the internals, thin and softer to the touch. Yet lifted easily enough for him to check the power source.

"Hmm... not the best of things Ironhide, but at least it just needs an energon chip." Crosshairs muttered as he checked the drawer like spaces, coming up with two chips that much have been tossed in. He huffed, sliding a chip in the right slot and once the light turned on, the mech shut off his own headlights. He could hear the girl giving a faint sigh as he adjusted the brightness. Something to give enough light, but... well not keep his charge awake.

"...Crosshairs?" Amy's voice pipped up. She was standing near the small heat chip, though not too close as it was warm, and the temperature in the bolt-hole was stable, but on the cooler side.

"All done?" Crosshairs glanced back, setting the cover back over the base of the lamp. His optics flicked over to the berth, pushing the lamp back a little farther before standing up. The mech felt a small smile quirking up a little as he saw the girl nod, and lift her arms hopefully when he stepped back to her. Then he did smile as Amy willingly climbed up into his right hand, squeaking softly at finding the large water bottle that was waiting for her.

Primus he was going soft.

"Can I go back to sleep?" Amy asked, fighting not to yawn as she held onto the larger digits around her. Watching as Crosshairs grabbed the chip and then the ground fall away as she was carred back at the berth.

"Yeah, don't see why yea can't." Crosshairs nodded, slipping the small heat chip back, slapping his holster closed and started to stretch out on his back. He paused at sitting though, peering at Amy in the semi light. "...maybe after we get yea changed inta something cleaner."

Between her fall off his frame and her run through the woods, Amy wasn't as clean as she normally was. Though a bath proper might be a while, he could at least get the girl in some cleaner cloths. Crosshairs pulled that brown polishing cloth like blanket out of subspace, put it on his thigh and then the girl.

Amy perked a bit, settling down on her knees before looking up hopefully, "Jammies?"

There was a snort from above her, yet at the following rumble Amy smiled as Crosshairs offered a small bundle. "Yeah yea can have them."

The girl squeaked happily at seeing the blue pajama set, squirreling into them and into some warm, soft socks. This was  _much_  better than other cloths and shoes. Only after surrendering the dirty cloths did she pull up the corners of her night time comforter, finding the two pillows in it easily. As far as Amy was concerned it was bed time, and a little more like it normally was. As nice as the armor pocket was, she liked it when the mech scooped her up like this, though slower compared to normal Crosshairs laid back. His legs stretched out on the berth as he tucked the girl and her bundle under his over armor with one hand and attaching it onto his chest with the other hand. This time on the left side of Crosshairs' abdomen, not all the way down to his side, Amy could still slip out if needed, though likely would not.

"Are you going to nap too Crosshairs?" Amy asked, wiggling under the weight of the flex metal, she was feeling a little better as it gave a general feeling of being safe. Like a weighed blanket, if the girl knew about them. It was darker again, and the thick comforter Bumblebee had given softened her spot on the Wrecker's frame. Though the living metal was warm.

"I might," Crosshairs started a low rumbling; laying back he looked up at the ceiling of this chamber. It was so very tempting to settle into a proper recharge for the first time in a few local years. Crosshairs like the other four had been, in essence taking shifts of who gets to nap for a Cybertronian. Crosshairs was not quite sure if he could recharge, not with Amy.

…was this what new creators felt like? Having been basically tired and shortened temper basically, Crosshairs understood why true sparkling could survive so long with an adult in an armor pocket. The mech rested a hand almost over the girl, that protective-possessive feeling that was triggered before back as Crosshairs sent a ping to Leadfoot. Asking the older Wrecker in the text burst to wake him up after a good seven local hours. At the same time, before fully setting on the berth, the mech pulling a few boxes out of subspace with his right hand. Dropping the dry goods and water for the girl in case she stirred without waking him... Crosshairs was not quite sure how she did that.


	12. Let the grump sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I promise...I don't think I am. Just working and getting massive ADD over on tumblr. Ohh, that said, come check me out there! You'll see early story clips, Headcannon/Story Slip Fridays, rps, dream catchers and other things. I'm omicrontheicequeen there, as well as having some side rp blogs

Jolt tilted his head, listening in the tunnel he was in. Without the constant background hum on the surface it was not hard to find the sole human in the quiet. More so when Jolt realized the second sound he was hearing was not a fault machine but Crosshairs snoring.

The blue mech shook his head, it was not nearly as bad as Leadfoot, did all Wreckers snore to some degree?

Well...

Ironhide had not been much better when in a proper recharge. It seemed to be something common in the front line fighters as well, maybe some sort of damage to their vents?

At least the steady sound made it even easier to find where Crosshairs had retreated to the day before. Jolt paused just outside of the entrance to the alcove like room, maybe duble checking for a reflexively set up trap. Only once sure it was safe did Jolt walk carefully into the room. Holding his energy field tighter than normal, to mute the feel of the mech's natural charge, as he looked over at Crosshairs on the low berth. Bright blue optics landed on the sparkling sized form also on the berth, Amy sitting cross-legged with her back against the trooper's hand.

It was an oddly cute, he would admit to that. Jolt noted the supplies and spotting the thing on the floor. The girl was looking up, having gotten into one box and nibbling on a carrot, looking up surprised at seeing the blue mech.

The Autobot purred softly, walking the last few steps, "Hello again little one. Do you need down?" Jolt tilted his head at the rigged up 'potapotty' on the floor.

Amy glanced at what she could see of Crosshairs, before nodding at Jolt, "Yes please."

The blue mech pulled his field even tighter as he stepped closer. Reaching out and wiggling his fingers to coax Amy closer, being careful with her as much as not to wake the green Wrecker. Once Amy had moved over and willingly climbed up into Jolt's hand, the mech lifted her up and down to the ground by the device. He paused to be sure the girl knew what she was doing. Then he stepped back, still careful of waking the other mech up with Jolt's energy as he grabbed the boxes. Subspacing everything but a single water bottle between two fingers.

Semi-theft almost complete, Jolt turned back to weight for Amy. Gently scooping the girl once done, "There, let's go little one, and let your guardian rest."

"How long will he be asleep?" Amy asked, resting her hands on one of Jolt's digits.

Jolt waited until he was back out in the hall like tunnel, before he answered, "Depends on how... tired he is. Crosshairs can be in recharge for a day or two." At seeing a worried look on the girl he added as he loosened his field to wrap it around Amy, to give reassurance, "That's normal. A good long recharge can be a few days. It might do Crosshairs good to get a rest... He'll have a better attitude for the most part."

Jolt glanced behind him over a shoulder as he walked away from where the wrecker would stay. He looked back down and started to hum, the blue mech carefully touching the small back as he judged how tense his passenger was. There was a fain spark of energon in his hand. "So, as you don't need as much sleep compared to us, you can come with me. Or explore? It's safe down here- and Steeljaw is 'sleeping' as well right now."

That seemed to make Amy happy, the girl was not quite sure about the cyber-wolf still. She shifted, edging back to sit more in the mech's palm, rather than on the semi-clawed digits. Amy grasped one large finger and taking a moment to consider, not protesting the second pet on her back, "Do we have to explore right away?"

"No," Jolt shook his head, giving a smile as best as he could in the human way. He paused, thought about something and lifted the girl up to muzzle her. Jolt's grinned more in his way as his action made Amy squeak, and then started to giggle at the affection. "You are very cute soft spark. You can stay around me, even old rusty Leadfoot, no need to push exploring Amy."

Amy nodded back in response, shifting in Jolt's hands for a few quiet minutes as the Autobot walked down the massive main tunnel. She blinked against the lights that were a little brighter out here as they turned on at Jolt's approach, and then off a bit behind them. Finally Amy dared to reach out and patted at the chest plate she was beside. The motion was shyly light at first, so it took a moment before blue optics looked down at the girl again.

Jolt gave a questioning chirp, though he could guess what was wanted. He waited for her to ask though.

Amy looked down, up again then she patted one of the large claws around her, "Um... Can... you said before that if it started to hurt," Amy paused to peer up at the owl-like face above her. Slowly she continued, feeling better as the mech's energy field flushed with reassurance again. "Can... can you do the, um... thingy? Please?"

"Thingy?" Jolt could not help by smile, even as his free hand moved, fingers twitching as a charge started over the claws. The Mech chuckled as he got a nod, "Thingy it is."

The Autobot flexed the free hand again, and the charge became visible. 'Small' lightning like trails of light crawling over his hand, before tapping Amy's knees. The girl gave a nervous giggle at the strange sensation. She lifted her arm as Jolt moved the large digits up and around to Amy's back. Letting the numbing charge sink in, and in turn Amy relaxed at the petting motion. Stressed muscles went limp quickly after the first tensing.

Jolt chuckled, shifting his hold to support the girl better as he started to walk again. "There, feel better?"

Amy nodded, sighing in relief before daring to rest her head against teal armor. "Thank you... it doesn't hurt anymore."

"We should find a human medic for you." Jolt snorted and shook his head, "But until we find some Nest, or just Autobot loyal humans it'll be safer here. We have some safe scanners for you."

"And food?" Amy asked, stirring to sit up in the supporting hands a little more. She gave up and just leaned on Jolt's other hand that had not pulled away yet, both arms flopped over one digit. That let her look around at all the things, mostly the carved stone tunnel supports that she had not seen when in the armor pocket.

Did Jolt have an armor pocket too?

"And getting you some proper food," Jolt agreed, trying to remember the talks he had with not just Ratchet and Ironhide, but those base medics.

"But I like carrots?" Amy half asked, and giggled as Jolt gently nudged her with a buzz of playful energy.

"Those are good for you, I know that much." Jolt agreed as he walked. The mech snorted as he considered this strange situation, here he was, the robotic 'alien' trying to make sure the organic youngling to eat better. He shook his head, "You should have more things. But maybe..."

Jolt glanced up, advoiding some boxes, as large as his knee that got over looked, but for the most part this side passageway, and the main tunnel of the bolt hole were open. One mostly ran the risk of running into a wall more than tripping over something. He hummed, and then looked back down as Amy made a puzzled sound. Realizing he was producing too much energy at seeing the girl's hair started to lift, the blue mech pulled the excess charge out of her.

"What was that?" Amy squeaked, looking all around and back up with wide green eyes.

"Static charge," The mech said, grinning, Jolt giving her a light poke, making her hair lift again for only a moment. The Autobot seemed to make up his mind before taking turn deeper into the tunnel network rather than back to the entrance where Leadfoot was working on the lift. "Let's get you cleaned up first, than we can annoy Leadfoot."

It would keep Amy from Wrecker snarls and cursing a little longer. Jolt could hear the faint echoes of that even if the girl could not. He shook his head, delicately twitching a clawed digit before smiling as he headed into the wash-racks he had found the day before. The mech made a mental note to shove Crosshairs into here too before surrendering Amy.

"Here we are, the cleaners are... cleaned up so it's safe for you." Jolt said, grinning at a squeaking from his hands, lifting Amy up to put the girl on the counter in the far back of this larger room. There was a pool big enough for most mechs to Jolt's left, and on that same side three stations for some heavier duty cleaning with cleansers that would be...burning to organics.

Amy slid off Jolt's hand only once it was still and looked around the... Amy giggled as she realized it was a counter top that she was standing on. Getting tapped on her head the mech moved to what just looked like a sink, though wider and longer than anything a human house would have. She trailed after the mech, a little nervous, "That... that's not going to fill is it?"

"No, not for this." Jolt tilted his head watching the human as he paused in reaching up to the supplies, looking at the girl. He was pulling the charge back and tight against him, out of his hands for sure. "Can you swim Amy?"

Amy shook her head, hugging herself as she thought about the fall into the lake water before Crosshairs had pulled her back up. The girl looked down, shaking her head again, almost whispering, "…no…"

The blue Autobot tilted his head, lowering his arms and setting a, well, dish, down and folded his arms on the counter. He gave a soft chirp to get Amy's attention and once the girl peeked up, Jolt cupped one hand around behind her. It was alike enough to what Crosshairs did that she started to relax again.

"That's okay Amy, not all humans can swim, or mechs." Jolt snorted and grinned in his way, "You should see Ironhide try, he sinks faster than anyone. But you do need to be cleaned up, so we can use that."

"Not deep?" Amy asked, finally coming over to the dish and peered inside. It was simple enough, just about twice as large of bathtub. That seemed safe enough...

"It won't be deep, but warm." Jolt promised, flexing his hands to make sure he would not let any charge or spark happen for now. There was no way he was going to electrocute a human youngling with water around. As Amy nodded and got ready, he grabbed a few cloths, one a softer polishing cloth for after, as well as pulling out the box from Crosshairs to look for a human safe soup, but having a feeling it might be a very mild cleanser that would be used.

Thankfully for Amy the bath was uneventful, after double checking that it was not deep. It was nice, feeling clean again, and Jolt did not mind her getting into new pajamas again. She flopped into the second dry cloth, wiggling happily at the softness as Jolt flipped a corner over her head. "Hey!"

"Have to be dry," Jolt said, stepping away from the counter, he would put things away later, and instead gently used the side of a clawed digit to rub the girl's head and back. "Don't want to hurt you little one."

"I am dry though," Amy protested, but after a wiggle was fairly relaxed, it was not so bad, and she realized her hair was still damp, "Almost!"

"Almost," Jolt agreed, shifting the cloth and then pulled it back to smile at the girl, tapping Amy's nose with a talon tip. The now dry hair poofing for a moment to giggles while the Autobot carried the girl out, paused and backtracked to grab the box and subspaced it, "Let's go annoying Leadfoot, maybe the lift will be fixed."

"And something to eat?" Amy asked, now that she was active, wanting more than just that carrot.

"Of course," Jolt agreed, "There should be more in those boxes, and what Ironhide set aside. I think I saw something on the plans that there was a garden like area."

"Why would there be a garden down here?" Amy asked, shifting and then bracing her hands against the blue mech's chest as she was moved against it again. "Do Autobot's like flowers too?"

"Some do, I think most are nice to look at. But it might be trees, maybe some things Ironhide thought humans would need." Jolt shook his head as he took a left, "I love the mech, but sometimes Ironhide didn't know a lot of some human things. It's why I talked to the medics on the bases."

Amy considered, thinking of the garden that she still remembered, the one that her mother had kept, before she disappeared. Then the bare glimpse when she got out of the basement. She wondered if this garden had anything that bloomed yellow.

"Did Ironhide like flowers?" Amy asked, looking up.

Jolt blinked, his optics flashing at the innocent question...and he was not really sure. "...Maybe? We didn't really talk about earth flowers little one. Maybe we can see if he put any in that area."

"I hope there's something yellow. Momma like yellow flowers." Amy said softly, leaning against the Autobot as she was carried back to the main entrance where Leadfoot was.


	13. Friends

Amy was yawning, she did not mean to. Really, she had been having a surprisingly good time that day.

These mechs did not seem to mind when Amy took naps, in fact she noticed that like Crosshairs the two almost seemed to expect it. Mostly exploring around with Jolt, by riding on his shoulder as he started poking around on a side passage. They found all sorts of things that were Cybertronian made, a few parts Jolt grabbed for Leadfoot and wrote (with what looked like a pen as big as her!) that the parts were taken for the inventory and others. Jolt was nice, Amy thought in that he would explain or talk about what he they were doing. Crosshairs had started doing that too, as best as he was able.

Now though? Amy was tired, dosing in a new spot, not alone but against the side of Leadfoot's leg. The steady, somewhat gravelly voice of the older wrecker was a not so surprisingly comforting. It reminded Amy of Crosshairs, though Leadfoot had a thicker accent almost all the time. As he was giving Jolt a lesson on gravity lifts and breaker, time seemed to slip by faster. Not that Amy minded too much, at least until she was poked awake and to sit up.

The girl made a face, pushing her red hair out of the way to see (it was growing faster the before... she wondered why). Asking as a large hand curled around her, "What's happening?" she had to reach out and brace herself against the black and red chest, as Leadfoot stood up.

"Got some company coming lass," Leadfoot said as he used Jolt to balance himself, having one hand full and all. Once up and he was stable, the old mech waved upwards, and Amy looked. Watching the lift rapidly leaving. "Lift should be fixed and cleaned now. Won't be long 'fer they come down."

"Is it the others?" Amy perked up, looking around as if for Crosshairs at first, settling on looking at Jolt. "Bumblebee?"

She knew him, and Bumblebee was nice to the girl.

"Its him, and at least two others." Jolt chuckled, grabbing leadfoot's 'cane,' to hand the mech. The blue Autobot tilted his head, listening to comm chatter.

"Hound and Drift?"

"More than likely lass." A large claw rubbed Amy's side as Leadfoot moved back to the few left over creates that Jolt had found in that side chamber off the entry doom. One that was like a storage, or staging area, and the things that had not been moved out yet. The Wrecker lowered his hand as Leadfoot noted how Amy was more holding onto his talons then his chest, "Unless they picked someone else up."

"Knowing that scout, I would not be surprised," Jolt chuckled, leaning on his elbow joints on the crates, one hand moving to wiggle at Amy. "It'll be a few kliks before they're down," Jolt told the girl, producing a water bottle from subspace to offer it. It had been a while and he noticed the bottle from before was missing.

Amy sat up to take it, noting that the bottle looked so strangely small in his claws. "Shouldn't we tell, I mean, wake up Crosshairs?" Amy asked, looking around and back at the main entrance tunnel to the rest of the bolt hole.

"Nah, we'll let the lad get some rest softspark." Leadfoot rumbled as he shook his head. At the same time patting Amy's back with a careful digit. He had recognized the signs of a mech being the equivalent of sleep deprived.

"Hopefully the rest will improve his attitude." Jolt snorted, and then paused as he looked around. Noticing Amy was looking up intently, listening intently for the sounds echoing down the lift shaft. "Primus knows he needs the rest... Leadfoot?"

"Hmmm?" The elder mech glanced up, watching Amy with a bemused expression.

"Where's the wolf?" Jolt asked, he had wrestled with Steeljaw not an hour ago once Leadfoot had finished the lift.

Only then did Leadfoot pause and straighten up, looking around for his cyberwolf. He cupped a hand and covered Amy in an attempt to shield her while a sharp whistle-click came out of the mech. The human still winced and covered her ears, making a face up at the palm over her before pushing lightly against it.

Then all three listened as there was a response.

There was a not so much faint, but clearly distant bark echoing down the lift shaft above, Steeljaw was responding to the call for his attention, but... well. It was not like he could get back down to where the mechs were. Leadfoot stared up, his expression blank for a moment, and the he face palmed. His hand running over his face and talons through the metal beard. "Primus..."

"Steeljaw knows Bumblebee right?" Jolt asked, staring up with Amy still as there was some exited sounding woofs drifting down. "At least?"

"Aye, he knows the scout at least, shouldn't attack." Leadfoot turned back, free had on a hip, tire, "Steel's a good wolf. He's got no order ta attack mechs right now."

"That's good, I hope." The blue mech vented, shaking his head, and then hummed in reassurance at the worried sound from on top of the crate. Jolt smiling in his way as he stayed in place, he was 'caught' now after all, "Its Bumblebee, he'll be okay."

"Do you think they all stopped fighting?" Amy asked, one arm around one of Jolt's talon like digits. Sipping out of the new water bottle as she looked over at his face, glanced at the lift tunnel and back.

Jolt tilted his head, the bots had been fighting? Had Crosshairs or the girl mentioned that? "I'm... sure they've gotten along again to make it here little one."

"I hope so." Amy glanced down at the talon she had a hold of, "...?" She looked up again as the mech moved his hand, leaning fully on the creates as Jolt hummed.

Cupping his free hand over Amy, the Autobot gave a reassuring purring sound, running a finger over the girl's sore spots with a tingle of energy. "If they're not getting along, we can shove them at a room and tell them to drink energon and nap it off."

"No locking in right?" Amy asked as she tensed, looking up with wide green eyes. Focusing on the blue mech she missed the look Leadfoot suddenly shot her. "No closing and locking right?"

"There's no doors to close, or lock, in the room chambers remember?" Jolt reassured and reminded, frowning a bit too. "Don't worry soft spark, its safe for all of us down here."

"Promise?" Amy asked hesitantly, gripping the talon in front of her, though mostly her body was relaxing again in response to the mech's field and the painkiller charge that had been done again.

"I promise, we won't lock anyone in." Jolt promised, and after a moment shifted slightly to put weight on his right leg. Using the other to lightly kicked the wrecker for him to speak up. Not enough to knock over Leadfoot, but enough to get the cane smacking him back out of the human's direct light of sight.

"Yea won't be locked in, nor any of us." Leadfoot agreed, he prodded Jot's arm, making him bump Amy a little to get her attention on him. "Now, did you pick up any when I was teaching this electric prick?"

That took Amy by surprise as she blinked up, green eyes widening as she wondered if she should have been listening. Instead of napping. The girl racked her brain and came up with, "Clean breaks often?"

It was the only thing she could think of, and sort of remembered that coming up several times.

The red and black mech blinked down back at Amy, before a rumbling laugh slipped out of him. The wrecker grinning from the human to Jolt, "Alright, the lass was listening in."

"She was also tired and resting too, so don't pester the little one too much rusty old mech." Jolt pointed out, running the side of one claw on the worried girl's back, "Don't mind him. Leadfoot's probably forget that young girls need all the rest when you need it." Like sparklings.

"Hardly," Leadfoot drew himself up, snorting as he glanced up at the lift entrance and the sounds faintly echoing down. Returning his attention back he smiled at Amy, "Yea are still young, not that different from a Sparkling. But yea do need a semble- no, yea  _do_  need education."

"And that can wait until after Bumblebee and his mechs are back down and settled." Jolt considered something, then with a smirk he added, "I'm sure you can talk to Crosshairs once he's up from recharge what's he started on."

"Like... letters and numbers? I know some math." Amy chirped, she had watched the math video a lot before!

"Well, that's a good start then lass." Leadfoot rumbled, trying to remember what human learning stages where, it would do no good to overload a young mind of any kind. But the young sucked up information best. "How old are yea?"

"I'm twelve!" Amy chirped, and then paused before adding with a shrug, "I think? That's what He... what He thought?"

"You think?" Jolt echoed, and tilted his head at the second shrug.

"He thought?" Leadfoot echoed, and then shook his head. He was not going to focus on who 'He' was right then at least for now. Instead he gave a low thoughtful rumble. "Ya know when yea're, ah," Pit, what was that human thing called... "Birthday is?"

Leadfoot knew that there were ways to figure out how old the girl really was, only he did not know how to read the scans. Yet, seeing what Amy knew would help narrow it down as well. Fraggin 'ell Ratchet was better suited at this, and he could fix Leadfoot's pitted leg. Ah well. The mech tilted his head, he could faintly hear Steeljaw getting a little louder, so far no signs of aggression just an excited cyberwolf seeing at familiar faces.

"Oh!" the girl perked up, smiling as she knew this one! Amy held a little tighter to Jolt's fingers as she bounced in place, not to high as she was still getting use to expressing herself more openly. "April 3! I remember momma saying that! two...two thous..end...and, um... "

There was a pause in the bouncing, Amy thinking really hard before shrugging helplessly. "April 3! And... aaand two thousand something?"

"That should help," Jolt guessed, glancing at Leadfoot, but had a puzzled expression on his face. He knew enough to pick out the basic stages of ' _young,_ ' ' _very young,_ ' ' _that's small_ ' and of course ' _just too tiny_ ' for humans.

"Try an think about that date lass," Leadfoot rumbled, doing the math that twelve might be close, but he suspected it might be a high guess. The red and black wrecker lifted a hand and rubbed his talons through the metallic beard. "Jolt, see if yea can remember ta ask a medic. Or Crosshairs."

"Not sure if he would know," Jolt said, looking at the lift passage as he

"Is Bumblebee going to sleep for a really long time when he and the others come down?" Amy asked, looking up at the sounds of the lift coming back down. She paused and asked in a worried tone, "Its coming fast?"

"Not that fast," Jolt shook his head, and then chuckled, "Well, maybe a little faster than when Crosshairs had you riding along. Don't worry little one, Leadfoot's here to yell at the lift some more if it miss behaves." The mech added, getting a giggle from between his hands and a snort from the Wrecker.

"As for the scout gettin' recharge, I'm sure he will, but not befer seeing yea lass." Leadfoot added on, shifting and leaning more on his cane and the boxes. "Yea should have plenty o' supplies for everyone to rest and recover- including yea."

"No more colors!"

"Yeah, no more bad colors on yea lass. or...more scratches then colors."

Amy nodded though distracted from anything more as she was poked, a giggle escaped, and then started to giggle more as Jolt smiled. Flexing his fingers he used a safe charge that sent a tingling-tickling sensation over soft skin. The Autobot rumbled his own chuckle as he effectively and thoroughly distracted the girl in the rest of the time waiting for the lift to return. Shamelessly making sure she was breathless and back into a truly good mood by the time Stealjaw jumped down to the ground with Bumblebee not far behind.

The black and yellow scout gave a high, cheerful whistle the moment he saw Leadfoot, and then Jolt. Shaking himself off not unlike Drift soon was as he too hopped off the lift before it finished settling. The short triple changer seemed just as pleased to roll off and up to stretch as well as there was a familiar snort from Hound's big frame. Jolt had disentangled his hands and once free of the small person darted over to meet Bumblebee in a small clang and clash as they rolled over one another. Bumblebee full of excitement as harmless energy (to him) crawled over his frame and up the stubby door wings. Jolt chittering right back in Cybertronian, happy to see his friend as a random mish-mass of music jumbled together to mimic the words back. Both yelped as Drift came right over and jumped on the two, adding to the semi chaos.

"Crazy the lot of you," Hound grumbled stepping off last, though the mech was grinning under his more wild wire like beard as he saw the two in the bolt hole.

"Like yea'r rusty aft is ain't better hound," Leadfoot growled, but he was smiling, limping forward to scrub Steeljaw's head before the green mech came up to him. They shared an arm clasp before Hound looked down at the injured leg, making a surprising- to anyone that was not used to Cybertronian, light chirp. A questioning sound, what happened?

"You done got-got Leadfoot?" Hound asked glancing to the side as Steeljaw moved off to start sniffing at the crates the Wrecker had been leaning on. "Those fragging humans?"

"Some crazy ones got inta the base Jolt an' I was at." Leadfoot rumbled and then snorted, motioning down at the improvised cane, "Got this as we were helping the survivors ta get safe."

"Why'd'ja bother? They ain't gonna help us for slag. Should've left this world for The Fallen." Hound asked, looking back at the three younger mechs settling, and sorting themselves out, and not able to pick one language for a few minutes it seemed. Drift looked... /happy/ of all things.

"Masses panic Hound, yea know that. Same thing happened when the war was reaching out on Cybertron. No matter what anyone says." Leadfoot snorted, smacking the taller mech in the arm before he limped back to the boxes, nudging Steeljaw with his cane knocking the malformed wolf over and off from his attempts to get up, "An' yea, stop that, or the lass will never trust yea. There's mech-loyal humans out there Hound. This lil' one proves that, so does the humans with Roadbuster."

Hound finally followed the gaze of the cyber wolf, wondering what had Steeljaw so happy and wagging his stump- oh.

_Oooooh..._

Hound stared for a moment at Amy, realizing he had somehow completely missed the girl. She was just looking up from peering over at Steeljaw, and those little green eyes were staring wide at Hound.

...and now he felt like a complete ass, as he  _did_  like the little pip-squeaker.

At least the good news was, if Amy was here, Crosshairs could not be too far. Hound was pretty positive the little shit had become notably attached to his human, so Crosshairs likely would not have given her up, even to Leadfoot without a fit... or an outright fight.

"Hey half pint, didn't mean you." Hound greeted as he came over, pulling out his Cy-gar, and reached out with his free hand.

Amy shied a bit, at least at first. Hound vented a sigh, "I didn't mean it half pint."

"It's okay," Amy finally said as she lifted her arms to rest them over Hound's digits. A not quiet hug attempt, "People were mean to you... Crosshairs said its okay to be mad at someone that's been mean to you… right?"

Leadfoot chuckled as he stole Hound's cy-gar from his free hand, "He's not wrong lass, but just ignore Hound's slag an' bluster."

"Hey, don't over draw on that, I only got a few refills left." The tallest mech rumbled, smacking the Wrecker with his free hand as Leadfoot took a hit. Once Amy had let go he moved his bulk out of the way, hearing an exited whistle behind him

The girl turned, sitting on her knees, Amy smiled seeing the black and yellow mech shaking himself as he walked over. Just like the mechs before, Amy could see smaller lights on these three brightening. They were starting to relax and not... she blinked really realizing that the mechs were hiding a lot, if they had natural glow-y spots that they had to dim so much.

Bumblebee's optics lit up brighter, a chittering coming out of him before the sound turned softer.

"Hi!" Amy chirped, shifting and daring to come closer to the edge of the crate, peeking at Steeljaw before grey-black fingers where cupping around her. Amy giggled softly, shifting to let herself be picked up easier, arms wrapped around the scout's right thumb.

"Suuure, he gets the best response." Hound rolled his optics, but a smile was quirking up under the wire beard as he watched Bumblebee waggled his door wings again.

Bright blue optics- far too big and for a moment very sparkling like rather than a honed scout and warrior- staring up at Hound and Leadfoot as he held Amy up in his hands. The trilled as he turned back the human, nuzzling Amy close as he walked farther into the bolt-hole.

"I missed you too." Amy said quietly, smiling as she leaned against Bumblebee's face, trying to nuzzle him back. "Crosshairs took a bath! It was in a lake, and there was a  _lot_  of bugs! I got to poke several, but one of the water bugs tried to climb up on my hand… I didn't like that, and I saw a tiny fish!"

Hound turned as the scout started to leave with the chattering human, likely looking for Crosshairs (who had to be recharging to miss everything). The big mech arched an optic ridge at the sight on the floor behind him where the last two were still. The two mechs had stopped wrestling when Bumblebee left, but had not gotten up yet. The commando trooper rolled his optics, turning away and mentally telling himself he will never understand Drift completely.

Jolt chuckled when the group left with the Wrecker limping after as well. He finished pulling the smaller mech against him, covering and shielding Drift with his frame. One leg over a hip struck and tucking Drift close, all the while olt never stopping kneading at Drift's back with the active energy crackling over both of them. Using it to smooth out not just Drift's energy field, but the too taught muscle cables under the armor and where his chopper rotors hid. Jolt avoided touching to the Great Sword directly but was very aware of where it was with its living energy.

"Relax Drift," The blue and black Autobot reassured once they were left alone and out of hearing range of the mechs walking away. "You're safe now."

Drift vented deeply, catching the familiar charged scent of Jolt- he had thought he had caught it on the lift.


End file.
